Living the Sharpest Lives
by Inu-Chan the music friend
Summary: When Cherry moves to New Jersey, she doesn't want anyone to know about her past or what she does to forget about it. But can the 4 boys who will one day be known as My Chemical Romance help her see that she doesn't have to be be afraid to keep on living?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Hey. This is my first story so if you could review and telling me if you like it would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading it anyway, my summary skills are... Limited let's leave it at that. It is rated T but I'm kinda paranoid about stuff that happens later. Please don't tell me I can't spell or do grammar, I know that! It's mostly MCR but I also added some characters from bands I like. The only things I own are my own characters and if you are unsure, I'll tell you when they come up. I don't live in America so if I get things wrong cut me some slack. Cherry is 16 and Josh is 20 to get the ball rolling.**

**Chapter 1**

****Cherry****

I looked out of my bedroom window for my first proper look at Bellville New Jersey. The movers had put out almost everything and the furniture was already being used and abused by me and my brother Josh. But today I had to unpack my room and release all the Chicago memories. I groaned and rolled my legs out of bed checking the time. 10 O'clock. Mum should be unpacking already and there was no way Josh was even awake yet after a long drive. I slunk downstairs and made some coffee. It was good almost everything was already moved in, gave us more time to check out the shithole that we lived in. I'm joking a little, but seriously; my carry on present from my dad was an ID bracelet and a can of pepper spray.

I finished my coffee as mom peered round the corner.

"You ready to unpack your room yet sweetie? It would be good if you finish today, apparently there's a park round the corner where you could skate."

I gave a dismissive mmm and she went back to moving furniture. I stepped lightly back up the stairs to dress. Blue-gray skinny jeans, Green Day tee shirt, and battered black and white chequered converses. I washed my face in my mum's bathroom as mine had no stuff in yet and drew the thin black lines of eyeliner under my eye to bring out the green and hide the grey. Then I shuffled into my room to face the monumentally emotional task of unpacking.

First I hung all my coats and jumpers in the wardrobe and folded all my tee shirts, shorts and jeans into a draw. Then I took my shoes and lined them up at the bottom of my wardrobe. This took 15 minutes. Next I took on the task of my roller skates. I have them in every size from 4 to 12 and in at least three different colours for the ones around my size. I know it's stupid but I hoard them like some kind of magpie and they are my only obsession to do with clothes. I took the size 6s, 6.5s and 7s and stacked them in the little alcove between the wardrobe and the corner. Then I put the rest back in their box. I checked the time again. 11 O'clock. I felt hungry but I knew Ireally wasn't, it was just a distraction from the task I knew I had to do.

I bent over the last cardboard box, feeling stupid that at this moment it was the most terrifying thing in the world to me. I breathed in and opened the lid. The memories rushed out like wind.

_Eva is told by the doctors she has to go into hospital, Cherry waits awake all night with Callum trying to reassure her with it'll all be okay. The results come back. Cancer_

I pulled out the small piece of paper with a hospital heading and place it in the smaller lockable wooden box.

_Cherry cries all night and Callum cries to comfort her. She refuses his help and just carries on crying. She loses her friends as they tell her to 'Just stop crying' but still she cries. She goes to Eva in hospital and Eva makes her promise to tell everyone why she cries. So with shaking hands Cherry photocopies Evas note to the school about cancer and plasters it everywhere_

I took the black and white photocopy sheet with her swirly handwriting on and filed it in the box.

_Eva has to go for Chemo. The week before she stays at home and persuades Cherry to dye her hair with her colourful dyes. They sit in the bathroom gossiping as Cherry paints a different colour of the rainbow into each of the 7 platinum blonde bunches Eva has divided her hair into. The next day Eva gets cherry to take hundreds of photos of her rainbow hair. A month later and that rainbow hair is laying on the hospital pillow as Cherry asks Eva how Chemo makes you feel. "Soggy". She never did have a way with words._

I started to cry as I put the book full of photos of her coloured hair in the box along with 7 dye bottle packets.

_Callum starts to mean more and more to Cherry as the whole school gives her this look. The look that says "It should be you. Not her" and she believes them. She knows everyone prefers Eva, and she doesn't blame them. So that night she makes a single cut on her waist so Eva doesn't see. Eva notices. She makes Cherry promise that just because she will have to live the rest of her life without her she still has to live it. Cherry tells her not to talk like that but inside her something dies. Hope. And at that moment Eva holds her hand and touches the place under Cherrys arm where she has always wanted a tattoo. She hands her a picture that she drew. "Get that Phoenix. It's the prettier one."_

The picture of the Phoenix goes in the box too as I absentmindedly thumb the tattoo of it I have on my left side just level with the underside of my breast over a rib.

_Cherry try to stop cutting but sometimes on the anti-depressants she started taking, sometimes a stronger drug she takes herself out of her own head so her brilliant memory can't recall a thing. Its bliss until the fateful day comes. The doctors confirm that Eva will die. The whole world feels empty so Cherry fills it with tears of depression and rage. "Why not me!" she cries to the world "She's worth more!" But Eva has long since accepted her fate. She begins to write letters to each of her family members. The plan to 'stay together for the kids' of their parents starts to fade and isn't going to last but Eva knows this._

I was crying and breaking inside as I got to the legal documents for mum and dad's divorce. The divorce was passed 3 days after Eva's funeral. I had to hold my knees to my chest for fear of exploding as I carried on.

_Cherry spends the night in a chair in the hospital reception as Eva lays dying on a gurney. She refuses to move as the nurses tell her politely to leave until they give in and show her to Eva. Eva tells her that she's gonna die tomorrow and gives her 2 envelopes. One for things she wants Cherry to clear up for her and another of things Cherry has to do for herself. Eva makes her swear on everything that matters that she will do this. She dies in Cherry's arms._

I held tight the last ever photo taken of Eva, in her hospital bed wearing a bald cap. She looked so out of place sitting in the bed with a smile on her face. My tears rolled down my face as the letter came out of the box and the last memories flooded me, I almost couldn't breathe.

_Cherry lies unconscious on her bathroom floor 2 weeks before the move to NJ. She is in a pool of water and blood with vomit in her hair after taking a drug and cutting herself in the shower. She then drank half a bottle of shampoo and poured it on the open, bleeding scars before walking out of the shower, pukeing in her toilet and passing out on the floor. This is a month after Eva's death and she still hasn't opened the letter to her. She sorted everything Eva told her to do but to repay her fellow students locked her stuff in various lockers across the school before pushing her in one telling her "It should have been you!". Callum deserted her which was what pushed her to do this. His words still echo in her head as she sits up and observes the mess she's in. She shakily walks to her room and opens Eva's letter to her. The first thing on the list 'Get off drugs. And never cut again' screams through her head as she promises on the best thing in her life, her sisters memory that she will. It almost silences Callums cruel words too. "We never had anything! I did it all for Eva because I love her and now she's gone! I don't want you; you should have died instead of her. Someone should go tell the angels that they killed the wrong twin!" _

The wrong twin. The wrong twin. The wrong twin. His words pulsed in my ears as I curled Eva's letter round my fingers before locking it in the box forever. I kept the list as I've almost done it all. But it's true. I should have died instead of Eva; they did kill the wrong twin. But she made me promise never to think that (Number 2 on the list) so I just sat on the floor and cried silently as my mind sorted itself out. I hid the locked box at the back of a draw and stood up, determined to unpack all this shit.

I stacked my books in the book shelf along with a few comics I brought with me from Chicago. Then I arranged all my studying things on my desk in such a way that I couldn't procrastinate by tidying or fidgeting. Finally I lugged the drum kit out of its various boxes and arranged it on the drum rug in the left corner opposite my desk. I took my saxophone case and sat it under my desk before finally mucking around with the drum stool forever until it worked. I sat it behind the drum kit and mocked wiping my forehead and grinned like a goon. I couldn't really stay sad for too long cause of the pills but when I got low, oh boy did I get low. I unpacked the stuff into my bathroom without incident and plugged all the clocks, lights and various bits of technology in.

"What ya doin Fire scalp?" Josh asked as I came downstairs with a pair of red roller skates hung over my shoulder by the laces. My most polite nickname is Cherrypie; but no. He's called me Fire Scalp since I dyed my hair red 6 months ago. Or flame head. Proper red mind you. None of this brown-y red or purple rubbish.

"Goin to find a bookstore. I gotta get something. Do you remember that book Eva was always reading?"

"Er I think so. It was called Ecstasy-Three tales of chemical romance right? Why?"

"Because-" I trailed off doing up my shoes "I wanna read it."

"Didn't she leave a copy?"

"Dad took it."

"That sucks." he muttered under his breath "Just get me some cookies would you?" he said out loud to me, sliding a 5 dollar bill in my direction. I took the money and skated out the door.

**-Line Break-**

In town I was lost. As in totally. After blundering around for a bit I spotted a Barnes and Noble and skated that-a-way. I guess I was going a little too fast because I practically fell through the door and knocked over this guy who was organizing a shelf by the door.

"Shit I'm sorry!" I gasped, offering a hand to help him up. He took it and stood up, even with my skates he was taller than me so he must have been 5'9ish. He had light brown hair that was puffy and disorganised in a flicky fringe across his face and his hazel eyes were magnified behind oval glasses. He dusted the knees of his blue jeans off and said

"Don't sweat it. I should have looked."

"No it was my fault I'm really sorry!"

He gave me a tiny hint of a smile.

"So what were you looking for then?" he changed subject with a glimmer in his hazel eyes. He really is cute. I realized I was just standing there like a gormless idiot so snapped out of it pretty sharpish.

"Oh it's just a book my sister liked. I was gonna try and get it so I could read it. I think I can find it." I told him "This gets harder you know" I mumbled

"Well if you need any help..."

"I know who to ask." I smiled as I skated through the shop. Stupid girl. Should have let the cute guy find the book with you. Sigh. I mentally surveyed him. His name was Mikey, that's what it said on his name tag at least and I would probably never see him again. He was my age as well. Stupid girl. I sighed at my own complete lack of skills with cute guys and went deeper into the shop. After looking around for a while I found the book Eva was always reading. I pulled it out of the shelf by the spine and touched the cover gently. Thing number 20 on Eva's list- Accomplished.

I slowly walked to the till where the cute guy scanned the label and with that adorable glint in his eye started punching numbers into the cash register.

"Green Day huh. They your favourite?" he asked trying to be friendly

"Ah their awesome but my favourite has to be Queen. They are legendary." I said, slightly over enthusiastic that a stranger was talking about my music taste.

"No way! I like Queen as well they rock. But I prefer Bowie"

"Oh come on. Brian May is a total legend and Freddie Mercury's vocals are... You know what I'm talking about right?"

He almost broke out of the straight face that he had maintained this whole conversation as I handed him my money.

"You sound totally like Gerard. He always gets wound up about music. You go to Bellville high?"

I sighed. "Starting Monday yes. I'm told its shit."

"Not really but unless you're a cheerleader or a jock your marked as some kinda reject. And I wouldn't put you as a cheerleader; am I right?" he said as he finished hitting the cash register and handed me my new book.

"True. But I wouldn't put you as a jock either?"

"Also true. So good luck." he said "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Hopefully. Goodbye Mikey" I smiled at him. I left the store, clutching the book to my chest. Maybe it only happened to guys. Yeah maybe that. I hoped that Mikey guy is in my year, he was nice. And I hoped I didn't get shoved in anymore lockers too. Or at least I hoped the lockers at this school were bigger.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Hello again. So yeah. I updated. It's not too good and if you could leave a review it would be majorly appreciated. I apologise for my foul language by the way. In this chapter, characters from The All American Rejects, My Chemical Romance and Black Veil Brides are mentioned. I know I changed the ages of the BVB people I don't care or particularly listen to BVB I just wanted to use the people.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise, brands or people.**

**Kira is a figment of mine and Kira the Dead Ninjas imagination however so we own her. And Cherry. Macy too. Just sayin.**

**Chapter 2**

**(Dang it I should put a title. Maybe later ones okay?)**

September 3rd. Writing day. On the third of each month I write to everyone who has ever meant something that I have had to leave. So I addressed the first of 4 envelopes to Stillwater Oklahoma and began to write.

_*Dear Nick and Tyson. I've finally settled in New Jersey almost. How is it? Well it's not London or Chicago and so far it's not home yet. I miss you guys, you should come see me here soon. Moms still distraught after... Well you know. We don't talk about her anymore. We move along, just to make it through like I told you. I hope you guys are okay. Sorry it's so short, haven't got much news yet. Missing you both. See you in a month or two. Cherry*_

I addressed that one to Tyson house. He remembers to pick up the mail more often. I lived in Stillwater between Tyson and Nick from when I was 6 till I was 13. They were my best friends and we meet up twice a year whenever we can. It was such a brilliant friendship, almost like a family. We were inseparable and they were the first people who could tell me and Eva apart when we were young. But when I had to leave I promised myself to always contact the people I leave behind. Because I never end up with many friends (I can count my true friends on my fingers) so those I do have I don't want to lose.

Next, Kira

_*Dear Kira. How's things in England? Bet the weathers crap, but then again it's not much better here. Andy says you should write him more, he misses your letters. I miss your letters. It's a pain in the ass that you're not even in the country anymore but I can see a holiday to England on the horizon! Really though stop moving around already it's hard to keep track! Goodbye K. Missing you. Cherry*_

I met Kira in Chicago as well as Bob. We all started the same high school and realized we all had the same interests. We liked similar music, we all didn't want to be popular and we all felt like losers on a daily basis because we were bullied. So we stuck together. We were inseparable until Kira moved in January 1995 to a place called Cincinnati in Ohio. She met a guy there called Andy who is kind of a friend of mine now through her. He writes sometimes and I do stage makeup design for him. It's pretty cool actually and he's a nice enough dude to not be a jerk about the fact he's asking me for makeup advice. But then just this year, K moved away back to England and we were both pretty upset. She is the only girl other than Eva I ever felt comfortable around which is kinda soul-destroying and probably the reason I got called a slut in Chicago.

I debated writing to Bob. He was the only friend I had had in Chicago after Kira left and I really wanted him to know that. But everything about that place scared me. I was beaten down and hurt at school and had no friends except him and Eva. We had just started to feel like we could be best friends until... Well.

_*Dear Bob. Hope Chicago is okay without me. Who will you pull out of lockers now?! I would say I miss Chicago but I don't. Wish you were in New Jersey. Write me. Cherry *_

Then I sealed all the envelopes with stamps and all and put them in my school bag. I'll post em tomorrow. Now I have to sleep.

**-Line Break-**

Beep Beep.

Aw shit. I hate waking up in the mornings. They're deceptive because one moment you think you're back in with Eva in your old room and next. Bam.

You're alone in a room in Bellville New Jersey on your first day of your new high school and Evas been dead for 4 whole months.

Bam.

I need my Xanax.

I decided if I was gonna make a first impression I would make the right one. I was gonna get bullied anyway so why pretend to fit in at first? That just doesn't make sense to me.

I brushed my hair out of the tangles it had dried into last night when I fell asleep with it wet. Then I dressed. Skinny jeans, black shirt with 'We will Rock you!" on in red and my leather jacket. It is the most amazing jacket in the world. Andy and Kira bought it for my 16th birthday in May of this year when she last came back. I lined my eyes with eyeliner and brushed on mascara with my mouth open like a fish. This made me giggle so I finished quickly and put on some lip balm before packing my bag and rushing downstairs.

"Good morning sweetheart! I made pancakes for you. Big day today huh?" my mum beamed from the kitchen as the most wonderful smell hit me. Mmm pancakes. If you could get pancake smelling perfume I would wear it all the time is how good they are. I sat on my chair and began to eat.

"Do you know how to see the principal so you can get all your schedules and things?" she said coming over to me and picking up her handbag

"Yeah mum. I think I'll be okay. It can't be much worse than the last one can it?" I said sarcastically with a mouthful

"Mm" she murmured "I suppose not"

I finished my nutella covered pancakes and began to hack at my sugar and lemon ones with a knife. Josh came down adjusting the hem of his shirt and gave me a raised eyebrow and a look of disbelief.

"Graceful." he said picking a pancake off his plate and shoving it in his mouth whole.

"Joshua don't! You'll make yourself sick!" Mum fussed "Now I must be off but I'll be back before you finish I promise!"

"G'bye mom!" Josh shouted after her

"Thanks for the pancakes! You're the best!" I grinned

She mouthed 'I do try' at me before she left out the door. I finished my last pancake and licked my lips.

"You missed a spot." Josh pointed

"Where!?"

"On your face."

"Helpful" I retreated into the bathroom

"Anytime." he said his voice sounding distant as I shut the door. I wiped the nutella off my cheek with a tissue before pouting and admiring myself. I covered up a red spot on my forehead with concealer before stepping out of the bathroom once again.

"You off?"

"Yeah." I said lacing my roller-skates before stashing my red converses with the black detailing in my bag "Good luck at college."

"Okay, thanks. I don't think Bellville High's goanna know what hit it when you get there." he smiled kindly

"Shudup." I faked annoyance, pouting.

"Give em hell for me kid!" he shouted out the door after me.

I skated to school fast. Really fast. The wind rushed through my hair and I saw people watching me from the pavement. I like to think they're jealous but really they think I'm a bit weird. Anyway I arrived at Bellville high in good time to a heck of a lot of funny looks. 'Ooh look at the emo chick on roller-skates.' and 'She's not from round here' and even 'Who the fuck does she think she is?!'. It hardly bothers me anymore. I found my way to the principal's office just fine. I was handed some forms, a map and a schedule which I put in my jacket pocket. I was going to not get lost I told myself. Yeah. You keep thinking that said my inner pessimist.

I changed my shoes in the girls' toilets but before I had time to go to my locker to put away my skates the bell rang. I stared at my map as I turned all the corners and found myself outside my form room. I opened the door to 21 pairs of eyes looking at me.

"Now class this is our new student Cherry Evans" the teacher said pointing at me "I want you all to be helpful to her on her first day. Okay?"

I wouldn't have minded this but she pronounced Cherry as Cheery so I could tell we weren't exactly going to see eye to eye.

"Now you can sit at the back there next to Frank." she pointed at a table where a short looking guy in a Misfits tee-shirt was listening to his headphones way too loud. I sat down next to him and bent over to retrieve my pencilcase. He took out his headphones and looked me up and down. I felt weird at this until he said

"Queen huh? You would totally get along with Gerard."

I hesitated a moment. This is what the guy in the bookstore had said. I think Frank sensed my confusion and asked

"What did I say something?"

"Oh no. It's just a guy in a bookstore in the holidays told me that too."

"Mmm. That's weird. Queen your favourite?"

"Definately. Freddie Mercury is a legend."

"True that." he laughed "Do you have anyone to sit with at lunch?"

"Nah."

"Well if you're stuck then just follow the insults." he said cryptically before getting up and leaving for next lesson as the bell rang.

I mentally surveyed him. He was about my height with longish blacky brown hair and he had two visible tattoos on his upper arm but I guessed he had more. His voice was nice and his smile was adorable. If he had been Mikey from the bookshops height then yeah I would call him hot but he wasn't so I settled for cute. I wondered if he would mind me sitting with him at lunch. Nah that would be rude.

I had biology next. The guy in front of me was really tall with a big brown afro and an Iron Maiden hoodie. He would occasionally pretend to play guitar and I think he did really play guitar. No one who doesn't play guitar does proper things with the frets in air guitar. I made notes when I could be bothered and the lesson dragged on. She told us to pack up and I started putting my stuff away but then a jock looking guy shoved me from behind hissing 'Emo freak!'. The contense of my bag spilled over the afro guy and the floor. I franticly tried to pick it up crawling over the floor as the rest of the class filed out. A hand appeared infront of my face.

"Hey. Need a hand?" said the afro guy as he helped me up "Names Ray Toro. Don't worry about them they're all jerks."

"Thanks." I said shoving my stuff back in my bag "I'm Cherry Evans. Kinda new here so thanks for helping."

"Don't sweat it. So you're the roller-skate girl? It looked pretty cool this morning when you pulled up on those skates."

"Aw thanks Ray. Well maybe see you round yeah?"

"Yeah. That'd be good." he said as we walked our separate ways out the room.

I sat at an empty table in the lunch hall to eat my snack. People were looking round at me as if they didn't know what to think. But I ignored it. Instead I thought about Mikey, the guy from the bookstore and hoped I would see him again. As I did this a group of mildly popular looking girls arrived and looked at me as if I had stolen their table.

"I'll move." I sighed trying to get up.

"Oh no don't worry!" one of them said pushing me back down by my shoulder "We don't mind honest!"

So I sat next to all these popular chicks as they chatted and bitched. God I needed a cigarette. It was 3 on Eva's list to smoke no more than 5 a day or quit but I hadn't had one today and at the moment I felt like I needed it. I leant to the girl next to me

"Do you know where you're allowed to smoke?"

She laughed "Ha-ha good one! That was a joke right?"

"No I need a cigarette. Can I go outside?"

"Er yeah I think." she murmured completely adjusting her opinion of me. I stood up.

"Well thank you for letting me sit here. I would love to say I'll see you round but I probably won't so... Bye." and with that I left the hall.

Leaning against a locker with my eyes closed I clicked my Zippo lighter and inhaled deeply. Ahhhh. I breathed out a cloud of smoke and looked around. I was inside a courtyard type place with the unusually hot September sun shining on a grassy patch with 4 paths across. I took another breath and saw across the courtyard, Frank. He noticed me and walked over.

"I didn't know nice girls like you smoked." he remarked

"Well." I took another breath "You do now."

"Can I borrow that?" he gestured goofily at my Zippo.

"Go on then." I chucked it at him "Frankie?" I asked tentatively, but he didn't seem to mind the nickname " How many tattoos do you have?"

He took a drag on his cigarette and started counting on his fingers. He got lost and laughed

"About 4 I think." He laughed "I want more"

I smiled at him.

"Hey." he said "Do you wanna meet my friends?" he tailed off as the bell rang.

"Lunchtime okay?" I said walking to band. He rushed after me and turned my map the right way up. I ahhed and he left smiling.

**-Line Break-**

I walked into the band room and just outside stood a girl. She had blond hair and was about my height wearing a black tank top and ripped jeans. She held a clarinet case and I watched as she walked in. Her eyes were ice blue like Evas used to be. It made me sad but before I could break down or cry the teacher leaned from round the door.

"Come in then!"

I took this invitation and walked in. The room was wonderfully musical and smelt like valve oil and Vaseline. You could hear different tunes from all corners and the conversations were all the kind you could relate to.

'And then he played D# the idiot! I told him...'

'I need that valve oil. Yes I did push it straight!'

'And I told her that she could play Flute 2 if she was gonna be so bitchy'

Yes. I liked this lesson. A lot. I sat down in the middle of the room on a stool and pulled out my saxophone. The girl with the blue eyes came over and admired it.

"May I?" she asked

"Oh go ahead!" I smiled handing her the neck strap. She admired the shiny curve of the instrument before handing me it back.

"Nice sax you got there. I'm Macy by the way."

"Cherry. So are most of this class nice?"

"Uh huh. It's a music class though so don't expect everyone out of here to be such a sweetheart. And don't ignore the trumpets. They're normally the ones who know where we are."

I mock gasped. "Shock horror!"

"I know right!" She giggled "Anyway I'll be seeing you."

She sat down and I smiled at the fact I now have a friend. Macy. Good name.

"Wow she's happy today." said the dude next to me with a sax also. We started to play and I exchanged comments and laughs with Macy. At the end of the lesson we packed up and she told me not to be a stranger. I doubt she was the kind of person you could be a stranger too

Through the next lesson all I did was read Evas book. I didn't even pay attention to who was in the class because frankly I didn't care. I was too absorbed in Evas book. When the bell rang I went to my locker and put the book in my bag. I turned the key and- SHITCAKES!

I slammed the door and leant on it. There was a dude in my locker. He had pale skin and black eyeliner and looked a lot like a vampire.

"Erm redheaded girl? Could you let me out?"

I breathed in. It's okay Cherry you aren't tripping, there is a dude in your locker. Great.

"Okay." I said turning the key again. The door opened. The guy wobbled on the spot for a second before collapsing out if my locker.

"I'm not tripping am I?" I asked him, my left hand gesturing wildly between me and him and the locker "You did just come out of my locker?"

"Yup. I'm pretty sure I did. Are you new?"

I mumbled a yes before stuffing my skates in the locker.

"Well thanks anyway for letting me out. Names Gerard. You wanna hang with us?"

Ah. This is the Gerard they all talk about. I wonder if he hangs with Mikey? I guess so.

"Yeah okay." I smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- OWH MY GAWD! Kira your so embarrassing :P. No. I joke. Chapter 3! ARRRGH!**

**Disclaimer-Don't own anything you recognise and so on... blah blah blah**

**Chapter 3**

**(Title inspiration= non existant)**

I walked nervously with Gerard over to the corner where he said they hang out. Upon arriving I was greeted with a shout of

"CHERRY!" and a massive hug from Frankie. "See guys this is the girl I was telling you about. She likes good music and the stuff you like Gee!"

I stuttered but frank stopped me. "I picked up your MP3 and looked through it. I'm sorry for being nosey it's just..." he tailed off and shrugged "You seemed pretty cool."

I blushed at this and thanked frank. We sat down with me and frank with our backs to the wall and Gerard's back to the pillar. Ray gave me a nod and a 'hey' and I nodded back. Then my eyes met with a familiar pair of hazel ones. It was Mikey from the bookstore!

"Hey Mikey."

He sputtered into his coffee before seeing me and recognising my face

"Oh hey. I never caught your name?" he said politely. Gerard butted in.

"How do you guys know each other? Is there something we should know here?" Gerard overreacted which made me laugh.

"I went into a bookstore 3 days ago and Mikey was working there. What did you think?"

He pondered before making a muffled 'Idunno' noise.

"Soooo-" Frankie said, dragging on a cigarette "What brings you to Bellville high school then?"

I almost bit my lip. Do I tell them or don't I? I didn't want to tell them everything, I had only just met the guys but the felt trustworthy. I didn't want to lie to them either.

"Er well I just moved from Chicago a week ago cause my parents divorced and my mom wanted somewhere we could, y'know settle."

"So she chose Jersey!" Ray blurted

"erm yeah. We've moved around a lot cause of my dad's work and my mom got a job in jersey that pays well but it's really long hours but she had to take it to y'know- for the money"

They all shrugged and mmmed in understanding. There was a slightly awkward silence before I decided to break the tension.

****Mikey****

Damn is she ever hot. Sitting there next to frank telling us about why she's here I don't think any of us can help but stair. Her dyed red hair brings out her stunning green eyes, like expensive gems framed by long black fluttery eyelashes. She's kind of athletically curvy with really nice legs, and boobs, and hips, and just about everything. Her shirt is Queen too. Damn she is even better that I first thought when she came into the bookstore.

"Hey can you guys help me with my Schedule? I don't think I know where anything is." she said in her pure and musical voice.

"Oh sure."

"Yeah I'll help you cherry!"

Gee and Frank choked themselves trying to get to her and examine her schedule. The fought over it for a second before gee said

"Well you're in frankies form. And you've also got Art next and- Hey you're in my art class! And Math! Oh this'll be fun!"

She grinned. I took the schedule off Gee for a second.

"Your in my chemistry class. And you have music with Ray and I and I'm in your English lit class." I said quietly.

"Thanks Mikey." she said stopping the mayhem and reclaiming her schedule out of my hands. Her fingertips brushed mine just slightly and for that fraction of a second shared with her I felt happy. She's kinda infectious with her happiness that girl. I like her. We could do with some happiness

****Cherry*****

I walked with Gee to art. He was hyper all the way. I think he was probably high on something but I didn't care. He's such a nice guy that I couldn't care less but when we got to art his mindset changed completely. He was the poster child for dedication and focus, pencil in hand, bent over his sketchbook. I drew a marching band. It's been my favourite thing to draw since Eva, well you know. She told me what heaven would be like in our last conversation together and she made it very clear it would have marching bands. Neither of us believe in an afterlife but she wanted to see a marching band one more time. She said they would play every kind of music ,whatever song she wanted and would have every instrument possible. So I draw Evas marching band. I don't like drawing much, photography is much more my thing but imp fascinated by Evas marching bands.

"What ya drawing?" Gee leant over my shoulder as I snapped my book shut.

"Nothing. None of your business."

"Aww c'mon Cherry. I'll show you mine if you show me yours!" he whined. An obnoxious cock (sorry Jock) shouted "That's what she said! Emo faggot" from the front of class before throwing a pen at my head. I pocketed it and whined.

"Go on then" I held out my hand and he plonked his book in my lap. It was full of the most wonderful cartoons, like a DC or marvel comic or a manga show and then some were dark. There were couples embracing with knives in their backs, vampires with blood dripping from their own throats and most disturbingly a girl who had turned into some kind of zombie standing in front of her lover who had a pained expression on his face and a gun to her head.

"Gerard way. You are an amazing artist but a disturbed child."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah. Well. Yeah. Its kinda a childhood obsession with revenge. It's not really that good."

"Gee this is amazing! How can you say it's not that good?" I asked "You could be such a good artist!"

"Mmm maybe. I might go to art school y'know if I get accepted. I like the marching band though, are you in it?" he said and it took me a second to figure out he was talking about the drawing.

"Yeah, yeah I'm there on those drums. And some of those other people are my friends, y'know from past schools." I gestured to the girl sitting on the flowered float playing the drum kit. He gave me a puzzled expression

"Friends?"

I mocked shock and hurt

"That's very hurtful. I do have friends you know!"

"I'm just messing you about you know that! Who's the dude with the bass? With the wild hair?"

So I went across the photo and pointed out all the people on it who I had previously known. He listened with fascination until we got to the girl at the head if the parade. He almost asked who she was but then the expression 'Saved by the bell' has never had such relevance. It rang and we packed up and I headed to the form room after bidding gee a cheerful see ya later. I walked into the form room and slid into the chair next to Frankie.

"How was art with Gerard?" he asked flatly, not a hint of emotion not even his usual sunnyness or sarcasm.

"Fine. He's a good artist. Can I have a skittle or are you gonna be selfish?" I replied in a similar flat tone. He whimpered and held his skittle packet close to him. I giggled and he smiled and held one up

"Only if you catch it in your mouth."

I opened wide like a puppy and he threw the sweet in a graceful arc right into my mouth. I chewed animatedly as his face tried and failed to hide that he was impressed.

For the next few days we settled into a pattern almost. It was consistency for the first time in my life for god knows how long and I loved it. I finally had a group of friends for the first time since ages and I decided that maybe at this point in time the least they knew about my past the better. Plus they wouldn't care, they've known me for what a week? They don't want my life story. The weekend came and I got a job as a waitress in a local cafe. It pays minimum wage and I do the weekends and occasionally after school. Maybe I can fit in here? Some hope.

****Mikey****

Cherry had become part of our group now. She would hang out with us every day and smoke just the same as we did which is a lot. She said something about choosing your poisons and then trailed off. It makes my heart flutter when she does that. When she does everything! But I can't tell her. I won't tell her. She has had some bad things happen to her and I know it, even if I don't know what. She'll tell us eventually, when she's ready.

I got so bored at work. I started making paper planes out of the receipts no one wanted and launching them across the store. Then the phone rang

"Barnes and Nobel how can I help." I rushed to it maybe a little too enthusiastically.

"Whoa is this a bookstore or a pizza place Mikey? You gonna deliver my books for me?"

Frank. His sarcasm shot through the phone and I should have guessed it was him. No one else uses the work phone.

"Mate I'm at work! What is it?"

"Oh nothing. Me and Gee were gonna get coffee and go see cherry at work and we wondered if you wanted to come?"

Cherry works? My heart leapt at the thought of seeing her but I didn't know why. I can't like her! I've known her for a week tops but there's just something about her...

"EARTH To MIKEY! Are you in?"

I almost fell off the chair.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes. Where?"

"The little cafe in town. It's about a minute from you."

"Awesome. See ya."

****Frankie*****

I smoothed down my hair and left. Gee was already waiting on the sidewalk tapping his feet

"You took your sweet time Iero. Trying to impress someone?"

Good question. Was I? Nah I don't think so. She's a beautiful girl but I'd like to get to know her more. So I white lied

"I was calling Mikey."

"Sure you were."

"Shut up! Just cause you want to fuck Masy!"

****Gerard****

Me and Frank stood outside the cafe, childishly bickering until Mikey jogged round the corner.

"Again you took your time as well! Am I the only one here who doesn't want to impress cherry?"

Mikey blushed pink. He does! I headlocked him and span round.

"Oh my god you do as well! Look you've gone red!"

"No I don't gee I hardly know her! Gerroff!"

Then a waitress walked outside with a tray of drinks. She had familiar bright red hair and saw me and Mikey fighting and laughed.

"Gee put him down! Your disrupting everyone!"

"Cherry hi!" I said nonchalantly dropping Mikey as he staggered across the pavement, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"What are you guys doing here?"

I opened my mouth to speak but Frankie beat me to it.

"Gerard has come to declare his undying love for you. You are the sun in his day, the light in his dark, the-"

"Frankie! Bitch I did not"

"Nah I wanted to see you and these guys did as well it seems."

She blushed and giggled.

"Aww that's sweet. Thanks Frank!"

She stood next to him and kissed his cheek. He mocked collapsing into my arms in shock.

"I get off in 15 minutes. Can you wait?"

I nodded. "It'll take that long to revive Frankie. How about Mikey goes in with you and gets coffee for us?"

He shuffled awkwardly. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him around outside to her tables before bringing him inside.

"Young love." Frank stood next to me looking in through the window. I shoved him

"You can shut up. You've still got lip gloss on your face."

"Mmm I know. She smells good." he said rubbing his cheek to find a pinkish tinge on his hand.

"Weirdo. You said that about Jennifer as well."

His face fell. I saw then I had crossed a line, he had just had a messy breakup with her.

"I'm sorry Frankie. You okay?"

"No but it's okay."

We fell silent after that until Mikey and cherry came back.

****Cherry****

Naww it's so sweet of them to come see me! I like stuff like that, spontaneous. I dragged Mikey into the shop and Gloria the woman behind the counter asked "Oh Cherry is this your boyfriend?"

We both blushed. Somehow it sounded right, Cherry and Mikey but no.

"No we're friends. They all came to see me."

"Oh okay." she said "Tell you what as we aren't busy you can get off now and see them."

"Thanks Gloria! Your the best!" I hugged her "Wait here Mikey."

I ran to the back room and picked up my stuff. I was quickly changing out of my skirt and blouse when I heard a voice at the door

"Oh my god sorry! Gloria said you were here and- I'm gonna go now!" Mikey awkward voice came round the door. I looked down at myself. Hmm I guess... Oh. Yeah I was only in my underwear. I quickly changed and went out to see Gerard and Frank waiting silently with Mikey looking really embarrassed next to them.

"We off then?" asked gee

"Only if I can drop this shit off a home first" I said holding up my uniform.

"Sure, let's go to your house!"

****Gerard****

Cherry house was about 5 minutes from ours and looked pretty similar. We walked in and her brother raised an eyebrow

"Cherry you know you shouldn't get a new guy in each town. Tyson will get jealous!"

She smacked his head and growled a catlike growl.

"Tyson is my best friend and taller than you so I would watch out."

Okay so now I was curious. Who is this Tyson guy?

"C'mon guys up here!" she stood on the stairs and ushered us up. We stood in the doorway of her bedroom looking awkward as she packed her uniform in her wardrobe. Then I spotted something interesting on a shelf. It was a row of boxes, four of them, each with a place name on. I went over to open one as Mikey sat on her bed and Frank admired the drum kit.

"Gerard no!" she snatched the box out of my hands replacing it gently on the shelf exactly where I took it from "You can't touch those!" her face was strong but her eyes looked fit to cry. I decided not to ask and was gonna change the subject but Frank beat me to it.

"So who is Tyson then?" he asked.

"Oh. Hang on." she pulled open a bedside draw open and took out a photograph. She pointed to the guy to her left in the photo, he was taller than her with curlyish brown hair and a wide smile.

"That's Tyson. Tyson Ritter. He was my best friend in Stillwater, where I lived when I was 6 till I was 13. We're so alike we're practically twins and we see each other most holidays. This was last summer. Josh thinks he's my boyfriend but he's not."

We passed the photo around. He reminded me of the guy in her drawing, with the bass. Also the guy on her right looked like one from her drawing too.

"You guys should meet him. You'd like each other." she told us as Mikey acquired the photo.

"Hey was he in your drawing? Both of them I mean?"

She looked startled. "Yeah yeah he was. I didn't think you'd remember. He was the guy with the Bass and the one to my right was another guy from Stillwater Nick Wheeler. He was with the guitar in the drawing."

A bang and a crash interrupted our conversation.

"Cherry? Show me how these work?" Frankie said from sitting at her drum kit. I rolled my eyes and laughed. This was gonna be funny.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Hello again . I bet you didn't see this coming? IM DOING ANOTHER CHAPTER! ARGGGG! Uber wide happy grin. So anyway than you for reading I love you all lots. I mean I don't know you but your reading my story so we must have something in common huh? I hope people are reading this anyway, if you are I would be majorly happy if you reviewed so I know I'm not just writing these for the sake of me and K. That would be slightly pointless (SHUT UP BRAIN)**

**SHAMLESS ADVERTISING- please read mytheoryofagoodlife13's story because it's awesome and I told her I would tell people that. Happy Meg?**

**Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognise Ectra Ectra**

**Chapter 3**

**(Given up on titles ATM. I'll try in later chapters.)**

****Mikey****

I don't know why but for that whole weekend I felt jealous. Of Gee because he ended up talking to Cherry a lot about some drawing of a band, of Frankie because she sat on his lap to show him how to play her drum kit and of these two guys I didn't even know. Tyson and Nick. She must be close to them and I bet they know her secret, the thing making her upset. Gee knew I was annoyed and on the Sunday he confronted me.

"Mikey what is your problem? If you like Cherry why don't you just tell her? Or at least talk to her more."

"Gee it's not that. She's upset. I can see it and I don't know why. She's driving me crazy."

"You do like her!"

"No I don't. I've know her for what a week! She just. You know has this infectious happiness and you know it! You didn't take your sleeping pills at all last night cause we were too busy being happy and it's because of her but she's so sad."

He didn't have an answer to that. He sat next to me, vodka in hand just drinking for a while.

"D'ya want some?"

I took the bottle. "Yeah ok"

"Do you really think she's depressed?"

"Muh huh. Good old fashioned depression. Like you."

I took a big swig of vodka and let the world spin over me.

"Yeah but why? And why do you think so?"

"Didn't you see the Xanax on her desk? And she's always kinda distracted like you used to be. She's a good influence on you you know."

"Why though?" he winged and lay on my bed, taking the vodka off me.

"Do I look fucking physic? I have no idea maybe its her parents' divorce."

He made a dismissing noise before collapsing on my bed. Well I guess as he won't remember any of this conversation in the morning I can just pretend it never happened.

**** A few weeks later****

****Ray****

Frankie was excited. Sure he's allowed to be as it is his birthday in a week but he was unnaturally hyper today.

"Hey guys! I just had the most amazing idea! We can all dress up on my birthday and go out! It'll be awesome!"

I sighed. We had just had Mikeys birthday which involved us all doing truth or dare and Cherry and Gerard doing shots all night until they both passed out and I could see this one going the same way.

"Frankie no offence but won't we look a little weird? Dressing up I mean." Cherry asked and we all turned to look at her.

"What did I say?"

"Frankie's birthday is on Halloween."

****Cherry****

Oh my god a Halloween birthday party! That is beyond awesome. I could do stage makeup just like I do for Kira and Andy too!

"Wow! That is beyond cool! We can do stage makeup and all have awesome costumes and-"

"See Cherry agrees with me!"

The rest of them sighed.

"Fine..." Ray said.

"Alright." Gee said

"Yeah." Mikey said

The bell rang and we all separated. I heard a few shouts of 'Emo Fag!' and 'Glasses loser!' and almost smiled at the normality of it all.

Band was good. Macy was really happy and excited as she's having a party tomorrow and was handing out fliers to Everyone. I seriously mean everyone.

"Hey Cherry. Come to my party tomorrow night?" she handed me a flier "And bring your friends!'

I took two fliers and put my sax away. Macy and I are quite good friends now. But I'm so much closer to Gee and Mikey and Frank and Ray. We're all now practically inseparable and I think for the first time since Kira I found some people who get me. Its blissful.

Math was fuckin dull. We're just repeating everything we've done before and I, unlike most of the others, don't need it. So to kill the boredom Ray was making paper planes with notes on and passing them forward to me.

'Hey Cherry. Look at Gerard.'

I looked and had to put a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh. He was asleep! Another plane hit my head.

'Isn't he sweet! I dare you to write on his face.'

Well I couldn't resist it. I walked to his desk, pretending to ask him for help so putting myself between him and our totally oblivious teacher. I took out my black eyeliner and drew a pair of vicious looking fangs on his bottom lip and chin. He was so out for the count I decided I should best finish the look. So I drew droplets of lipstick blood on the fangs down to his chin. Then I silently snapped a picture on my cell phone.

'Did you do it?' the third paper plane hit my head. I passed my cell phone up to him with the picture on the screen.

"Oh you legend!" he laughed

"What is so funny Mr Toro? Would you like to explain to the whole class this problem?"

He stuttered and then explained the problem. She hadn't been expecting that so sat back down. The lesson dragged on. It seemed like an age until the lunch bell rang.

"Okay class it's time to go to lunch now. And Mr Way?"

Gerard had just woken up and looked terrified. "Whaaa?"

"The school rules state that subtle make up is allowed. Wipe off the fangs please."

He caught sight of himself in the window and looked at me and Ray, absolutely pissing ourselves laughing. I handed him a tissue, still in hysterics.

"You fucktards! Who did it?"

Ray pointed at me accusing. His face immediately straightened.

"She did!"

"Only cause you dared me!"

"Whatever. I'm going to get lunch, coming Ray?"

"Sure."

They left and I walked slowly to my locker to get my Xanax. I could feel a low coming on.

****Mikey****

"Emo Freak that's what you get!" is I think what I heard. Some jock was holding my head in a toilet and another had just smashed my glasses. A flush of water rushed past my ears and my whole torso felt soaked. I sputtered and tried to breath but I couldn't. My vision went black and my chest tightened but then I felt a tug and heard a thump and a smash of a mirror.

"Loser nerd we're only just getting started!"

I was gonna puke. They shoved me out of the restroom door onto the hard floor outside and I retched. I felt myself emptying my stomach onto the tiles and heard squeals from some nearby girls. I kept vomiting until I had nothing in my stomach to puke up.

"Ew you Skanky faggot!" said the jock behind me before forcing my face into the puddle of vomit on the floor.

"Mikey!" came a sweet, kind, beautiful voice from the end of the hall. The crowds parted as Cherry ran to me.

"What do you think you're doing you Bastard!" she screamed at them "What is wrong with you! He's hurt enough already!"

I felt her warm hand on my shoulder as I lifted my head.

"Aw look. Emo Fag has found himself a girlfriend. Why don't you come over here and see what a real man can do for you. I bet you'd love to suck my dick."

She stood up and I staggered to my feet as she stood tall, confronting the jock.

"You know what! I think I would rather die a thousand deaths than touch any part of your evil sadistic body! You make me sick!" she shouted. I heard a loud bang as her head connected with a lockers at the other side of the hallway. Her face looked pained as he put his head next to hers.

"You wanna say that again you little slut! You wanna say that again!"

I took her hand and pulled her away from him.

"Leave her alone!" I spluttered and then we ran. She guided me through corridors, up and down stairs and through doors before she stopped and slid to the floor with her back against a locker.

"I-I I think- we- I think we lost them." she announced completely in shock.

****Cherry*****

"I-I I think- we- I think we lost them."

My breathing was double speed and the whole world span. Mikey knelt next to me.

"Cherry stay with me. Are you okay?"

I breathed deeply and got out a tissue and started to wipe the water and vomit off Mikeys face.

"Cherry I can do that Stay with me!"

The whole corridor span violently and then everything went dark.

****Mikey****

"Cherry Damn don't do this!" I shouted at her. She blacked out and I lifted her into my arms. She was definitely alive but there was a huge bruise at the back of her head and I was worried it was worse cause without my glasses it was all a blur.

"Oh my god Cherry!" I heard Frankie's voice from behind me. He took my arm and guided me to the nurses room. We looked like the incarnation of weird, a guy staggering with dripping wet clothes and vomit in his hair carrying an unconscious girl.

****Cherry****

I awoke without opening my eyes to find something warm and soft in my hand. I squeezed it and it squeezed back.

"How you doing baby?" came a disembodied voice from above my head.

"Urg. Fine I think. Is Mikey okay?"

I opened my eyes to see Mikeys was the hand I was squeezing.

"I'm fine. You had a concussion you know so me and Frankie stayed with you. Bells gonna go any second so you can go home if you want"

I sat up to find myself propped up on one of those awful hospital beds. Hospital beds. Eva.

"Whoa cherry babe stop crying c'mon now. We aren't that bad." Frankie said

I sat up, still holding Mikeys hand and pointed at my bag.

"I need it."

Frank obediently put it on my lap and I spilled the contents onto the bed.

****Frank****

She emptied her bag onto the bed. First a book- Ecstasy: Three tales of chemical romance

Then some more books, school ones.

Then a large purse, red with a gold zip and almost bursting at the seams. An ID tag with her name engraved on and a business card for a tattoo shop and a beautiful drawing of a phoenix. Finally a photo of a girl, I think it was cherry but with rainbow hair. Like properly, 7 sections with each section a different colour. I tried to pick it up but she put her roller-skates on top of it and retrieved the red purse. It held pill packets and tissues and batteries, every manner of thing she might need. She retrieved a bottle of pills, half orange half white and swallowed 3. Then she lay back, dropping Mikeys hand and curling into a fetal position on the bed, crying.

She sat up after a few minutes of this and re-packed her bag. Then she hugged me for a long time.

"Thanks Frankie." she whispered at me.

****Mikey****

She waited for Frank to leave before turning to me.

"Walk me home?" she stumbled over her words.

"Of course."

She didn't put on her skates and walked with me, holding onto my hand. It felt so right, so wonderful to be this close to her and comforting her. She seemed to think so to and rubbed circles into the back of my hand as we walked.

"Thanks Mikey, for back then. It was brave of you."

"Not really. I was busy laying on the floor pukeing my guts up. You kinda saved me until you got shoved against that locker."

"Nah. That was just what friends do."

We stopped outside her door.

"Thanks Mikey. See ya tomorrow?"

"See you then!"

Our hands left each other hesitantly and I smiled all the way home. I never smile.

****Gerard****

"Man Mikey you need a shower." I told him. What he stank!

"Mmm yeah I know. I was just going there." he said, almost smiling with his hand in his hair. I have no idea how he got home without his glasses buy I made a point to ask later. I got his other pair from his draw and put it in plain sight on his bedside table. Then I read the flier Macy had given me. Hmm a party. Yeah I'll go and no not just because 'I want to fuck Macy' as Frank so crudely put it. Parties are fun right?

**A/N- Just thought I'd better point out the ages. I changed the My Chemical Romance guys ages a little bit and I don't know if it would work but...**

**Gerard and Ray- 17**

**Mikey- just turned 17**

**Frank, Cherry and Macy- 16**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Howdy. It's been a while. Or at least I feel like its been a while know what I mean? I realised that the last chapter I did I labelled chapter 3 when it was chapter 4. Feel silly now :/ . Anyways, on with the story.**

**Also please read Kira the Dead ninja's new story an Mytheoryofagoodlife13s story. They are both awesome. I may be a little biased on kiras one though. Reviews make me happy and when I'm happy I feel like putting up more chapters so... ;) **

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill by now right?**

****Cherry****  
Macys party. Whoop de whoop. It was a typical teenage party, the music was playing loudly and people were dancing in every room, the kitchen was scattered with alcoholic drinks and the upstairs bedrooms were being put to good use by groping couples. I sat on a kitchen surface in my black mini-skirt and long fishnets determined to drink myself into a stupor. But doing shots by yourself is really no fun so I just sat there, drinking vodka and hoping Gee would get here soon.

****Mikey**  
**"Mikaaaay get me a lighter while you're up." Frank whined at me. I flicked him my middle finger and laughed. God he's funny when he's drunk. In the kitchen there weren't many people but a lot of alcohol. I grabbed a big bottle of vodka and heard a familiar voice.  
"Oi you bastard that's mine!"  
I turned to see Cherry. I guess I hadn't recognised her when I first walked in cause she was dressed so different. She had the shortest of short skirts on and long fishnet socks on her shapely legs. She also had a red belt at the top of her skirt and a tank top with like a black leather waistcoat over it. And yes she was sexy. My stomach did a little flippy thing but then I regained my composure when she said  
"Oh hey Mikes. Is Gee and the guys here? Shots on your own is never as much fun."  
"Oh yeah, come on." I said, helping her off the side, trying to avoid looking at how nice her boobs were in that top. Hard task and one I sorta failed dismally at.

"Cherry! Come here my shots buddy!" Gee shouted at her from across the room. She laughed and ran to sit opposite him, vodka still in hand.  
"Oh you legend! Don't suppose you have a lighter in that sexy waistcoat of yours huh babe?" Frank slurred as he swigged the vodka "I need a Fag so bad."  
She blushed and wriggled out of the coat, showing off a lot of flesh.  
"Top left breast pocket." she threw the jacket at Frankie and he kinda fell over so she reclaimed the vodka from his grip "Are we gonna do this Gee? Cause you know what happened last time when beat you hands down. Are you sure you want that again?" she pouted, pouring herself and Gee shots. I watched her with fascination, kinda turned on by her new outfit and the way she kept smiling at me.  
****Cherry****  
"Oh I'm there baby!" Gee took a shot glass and drank hungrily. And so it began. With each shot my ears got fuzzier and my vision span. After about ten minutes of this Gerard put his hands up  
"Ok I'm beat. I think er- I gotta puke! Bye" he said running to the bathroom. I stood up and punched the air in victory and then tripped over Mikey.

****Mikey****  
Gee ran off to the restroom to be sick and the cherry stood up and tripped into my lap.  
"Hello there!" I said, shocked "You okay?"  
"Peachy. Like pie. I like pie" she said giggling with her arms around my neck. Yeah she's pretty drunk. I held my arm around her waist and she lay her head on my shoulders as if to sleep.  
"Mm. Love you Mikey." she murmured  
"Love you too. How many shots did you do again?"  
"Hehe I don't know! C'mon let's play truth or dare!" she said setting the bottle up in-between the empty shot glasses "Ray, Frankie, Macy come join us!"  
They all sat in a circle around us and Gee returned from pukeing to join us. Another one of Macys friends who was in a ripped neon green shirt with a black to underneath joined us and the game began.

****Frank****  
Cherry started a game of truth or dare and at first it was pretty standard. None of the dares really stick in my head until  
"Cherry I dare you to make out with Frank." said Macy "Sorry Frank!"  
Before a word could escape my mouth it was blocked with Cherry's. She held my shoulders and I grabbed her hair as she kissed me. She pulled away too soon, I wanted to carry on kissing her but her tooth caught my lip ring and I shivered. Mmm she's good. The whole circle gave us a look of 'Did that just happen' and I licked my lips. She had nice lip gloss to.  
"Okay Frank your turn." Macy handed me the bottle. I twirled it round until it landed on...  
"Cherry! Truth or dare?"  
"Truth."  
I pondered.

****Cherry****  
"Cherry where is your tattoo and what is it?" Frankie asked. I bit my lip. How does he know about that?  
"How can you even be so sure I even have one?" I lied badly  
"Oh I just do. C'mon are you forfeiting or what?" he said.  
"Stalker." I hissed at him before removing my shirt to "Whoa Cherry please don't strip!"  
"Y wanna see this tattoo or not?"  
They murmured. Curiosity had took over and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have if I was sober but I pulled my bra strap up to reveal the phoenix tattooed on my left side ribs.  
**Frank**  
I knew it. It was the phoenix from the drawing in her bag and it looked nice on her smooth skin.  
"Whoa that's pretty!" Macy said "Got any more?"  
"Nah. Hurts like fuck." she giggled drunkenly

****Mikey****  
Damn she's so sexy. I was incredibly turned on as she lifted her shirt and showed off her beautiful phoenix tat. I could stair at her body for hours and bask in her beauty. I was distracted from gawking at her by a nudge in the ribs when she started putting her shirt back on.  
"Catching flies Mikey?" Ray whispered at me "Don't take advantage she's proper drunk."

****The next morning**  
**Cherry****  
I woke up with a banging headache in a room I didn't recognise wearing a tee shirt that smelt like man deodorant. Oww. Why did I drink so much last night? Yeah yeah I'm an alcoholic but where the fuck am I? I sat up and surveyed the room. It was a guys room and kinda messy. I was wearing the underwear I had on last night under an oversized black tee shirt from a metal band that I couldn't read the name of. I screamed. Loud.  
**  
**Gerard****  
Urg. I woke up in my room in the basement at around 6am to a girls scream. A scared scream. The fuck happened last night!

****Mikey****  
I wrapped a towel round myself and ran into my room to find Cherry the source of the piercing scream.  
"Mikey where am I! And what happened last night!" she panicked  
"Shh. Shh. It's okay." I hugged her "You were really really drunk last night and Macy only lives next door so you came home with me and Gee."  
She hyperventilated with her head pressed to my chest as I calmed her.  
"Are you sure that it's okay? I mean me being here and all." she breathed and sat up.  
"Fine. Er can I dress now?" I asked awkwardly and she ahhed and tiptoed downstairs.

****Cherry****  
I tiptoed downstairs to find the clothes I wore last night scattered on the landing. In a hung-over haze the clock seemed to wobble around the wall so I sat on the floor until the room stopped swirling.  
"Everything alright dear?" came a woman's voice behind me. I must have leapt about a foot up in the air backward before I spoke.  
"Er I think I'm fine. Hung-over but that's my fault I guess."  
"Ah I wish my boys had that attitude. I'm Mikey and Gerard's mother. You must be Cherry? They talk a lot about you you know. Or at least Gerard does. Mikeys kinda shy you know."  
Mikey, shy? Not around me he isn't.  
"Er thanks I guess." I said as I rubbed the back of my head "I was just gonna dress and go home, y'know to change for school."  
"Oh okay dear. You know you're welcome to stay for breakfast if you like and I'll get one of the boys to walk you home."

****Gerard****  
I climbed out of my basement room to see Cherry talking to my mom. She had panda eyes was wearing one of Mikeys metal shirts and er, apparently nothing. Ha. I guess I wasn't the only really drunk one last night.  
"Oh good morning Gerard. You can make breakfast for your friend, I have to go to work." mom said, kissing my cheek and walking out.

"Whose a pretty panda this morning then?" I asked Cherry and turned the coffee maker on. She ran to the nearest shiny surface and 'Oh crap'ed  
"Oh don't worry it's not that bad. D'ya know where Mikes is?"  
"Er-" she dabbed her face with a tissue "I think he just got outta the shower why?"  
"Oh. So he will want coffee then."  
She laughed at this, she's known Mikey long enough to understand he just doesn't function in the morning without coffee.  
"So what did happen last night?" I went on. She shrugged "You're asking me? I woke up in a strange room in clothes I didn't recognise with no recollection."  
"What none at all!" I said, shocked  
"Muh huh." she mumbled "Gimme coffee please!"  
We both stood in silence for a few seconds, drinking coffee and gaining the will to live.  
"You sure you don't remember anything?"  
She cocked her head to one side and with superhuman effort said  
"Well I remember we did shots which, I won by the way, and then you had to go puke. And something to do with truth or dare."  
This cracked me up. Oh my god she was serious! For someone who holds her alcohol so well...  
"Gee what is so funny? Fill me in okay!"  
I took a deep breath and started where she left off.  
"Well you started a game of truth or dare which was awesome cause I got to touch Macys boobs and she was too drunk to care. And then you made out with Frankie-"  
"WHAAA!" she cried "I made out with Frank! Are you even serious!"  
I kept my face straight and she curled up going 'Oh shit Oh shit Oh shit'  
"Don't worry about it. He was even more drunk than you were he won't remember a thing."  
She moaned. "Do I want you to continue?"  
"Hell yes! Then you showed us your tattoo and-"  
"ARRG!" she yelped "Oh my god I need my Xanax!" she rolled over and moaned, quietly so I couldn't hear or so she thought "Did I take my bra off?"  
"Nope. Just your shirt."  
She continued to rock on the spot, mumbling to herself as if she was crazy for a second.  
"Gee. Did I bring a red purse to the party?" she said looking helpless.  
"Er no. Not that I know anyways."  
She growled and curled up farther into a ball. Uh oh. She's gonna have panic attack. I decided to help her so I silently retrieved My Xanax from tow cupboard and held it out to her.  
"How *Sobs* how do you know I need this?" she whimpered at me  
"You talked to yourself. What you on it for then?"  
She took two and swallowed hard. "Erm Depression. And depression related anxiety. And dependence. You?"  
"Depression. It's stupid. Why are you dependant?" I asked curious "You can't have been taking it more than a year."  
She swallowed. I can see Mikeys theories coming through now, she is in pain.  
"6 months. Otherwise I can't sleep and I panic attack every day, cause, cause I lost the only other thing I was dependant on." she broke down in my arms and I tried to comfort her. I decided not to ask so we drank our coffee in silence.

School was awful. She left to dress at home and all three of us, Me, her and Mikey turned up at first break nursing killer hangovers. Ray was also suffering as were a lot of people and Frank had fallen asleep in the restroom. Twice. We had to send Mikey in to wake him up both times and if I didn't feel sorry for the guy it would have been killer funny. Cherry came out to lunch with a promise on her lips.  
"Urg. I don't know about you guys but I'm never drinking that much ever again."  
"I'll second that." Frank croaked  
"Me too." said Ray and Mikey almost in sync  
"Oh count me in." I lifted my hand up.  
Of course it didn't last but yeah, we felt better for it.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N- Hi again. You'll be pleased to know I have stopped coughing up my lungs for long enough to update this story. I probably have to warn you- There is some stuff in this and the next chapter (Drug use) that I am pretty sure this T rating can handle but I'm just saying. I'm a teenager, I can handle it and I wrote is so you guys'll be fine. Sorry if it's really bad okay. I'm not good at this kind of thing.**

**Reviews are amazing. They make me very happy. Hint Hint.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own MCR. If I did I wouldn't be writing this silly! :P**

**Chapter 6**

****Halloween night****

****Cherry****

"I don't care if it's your birthday! Everyone else has it!" I told Frankie sternly, brandishing my makeup brush.

"Mm. But it goes with all your costumes" he gestured. Well in a way he was right. We all sat cross-legged on the landing of Franks house in full Halloween costume as I tried to paint his face.

Gee was a vampire in an immaculate dress suit with a very pale face and painted on fangs. Proper ones this time, not for a prank. His long messy black hair was pulled back and covered in gel to keep it that way.

Mikey was Jack Skellington from The Nightmare before Christmas with blacked out eyes and a wide stitch grin. His hair was hidden under white powder and his whole face and hands were painted white.

Ray was Sweeny Todd with a big razor blade and a bloodstained apron. I had done a good job of trying to tame the fro. I think my costume was amazing though.

I was a corpse bride with a tattered off white wedding dress that fell to my mid-calf. My tattered veil was held on with a headdress of wilting lilac roses and I had a similarly wilting bouquet. My face was slightly blue tinted and I had painted a tiny bit of blood spattered on my face starting at my nose. I also had a bloodied hole in my chest where I can only presume I was shot and the blood splatters were spread out on the dress.

"Frank mate, you got to have makeup to be a zombie!" Ray said, trying to free his afro from the hairspray and gel with the end of his fake razorblade.

"Yeah. Or it won't look right." Mikey concurred, humming the NBC song 'Jacks Lament' while itching his head trying to remove some powder from his completely covered hair.

"Go on then. But don't make me look stupid Kay?" he sighed

"Frankie. I managed with the others I'll manage with you."

****Frank****

She flopped onto the floor next to me and shut my eyes. A sponge rubbed greenish paint onto my skin and then it began. I felt cold precise paintbrush flicks over my face as she meticulously moved over my face, spreading her magic.

"Hey guys not that this isn't fun buuuut- me and Ray are going to go order pizza before we go out k?" came Gees voice from next to me. I turned but Cherry pulled my head back.

"Not finished yet birthday boy!" she giggled at me, her powder blue face beaming. Do I like her? Hard to tell, she's a beautiful girl and yeah she turns me on, I mean more than regular girls but- she's like my best girl friend. I think that goes for all the guys here too. She relates to all our music tastes and doesn't dress herself up like most girls, it's just her and same for her personality, she's so... clear. I mean she brings the most amazingly happy vibe to our group, Gerard is so much happier since she's been here as are all of us.

"Hang on Frankie. Almost done- hey Mikey where are you going?"

"Err gotta pee." came Mikeys voice as his humming got more distant.

"Delightful." she murmured "Frank do you want a Chelsea smile?"

A what? I must have thought out loud as she allowed me to open my eyes and explained.

"That's when you have like slashes coming from the corners of your mouth." she mimed on her own pretty smile.

"Like the Joker?"

"Yeah. A little like the Joker. D'ya wannit?"

"Ah why the fuck not." I said, shutting my eyes "Chelsea smile me up."

She laughed and began to paint. It was done in a matter of seconds and she opened my eyes.

"There. Finished. All you need now is redder lips." she said, rummaging through her makeup bag. I don't know what came over me then, maybe it was the birthday adrenaline or maybe it was the alcohol and sugar or possibly the mention of lips but I did something really stupid. I took her hands and put her makeup bag down. Then I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. A long kiss. Her mouth opened and we kissed harder and her tongue caught my lip ring, the friction making me shiver. Suddenly she pulled away.

"Frank why did you do that!" she sounded positively angry

"I thought you liked it." I said trying to be sexy

"No Frank! I mean yes but... You don't just do that to people!" she shouted at me, almost crying and that was where I realized my error.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it would upset you and I don't know what came over me I'm so sorry. Forgive me?" I panicked.

"Mm sure. Forgiven. Your lips are red enough. Here." she handed me a shaving mirror and headed downstairs to wait for pizza with Ray and Gerard. She had done a really good job on the zombie makeup I guess I should thank her... Shit. I just made our whole friendship really awkward didn't I? Real clever Frankie.

****Gerard****

Cherry came downstairs and flopped on the sofa.

"What's up Sally?" I asked, scribbling a sketch on the back of a napkin as Ray sat on the floor trying to comb his fro out of the vague order Cherry just restored to it.

"Sally?" she raised her eyebrow

"Yeah Sally. From the nightmare before Christmas. She's got red hair and always looks worried so..." I said continuing to sketch.

"I don't look worried do I?"

"Nah" I said, really into this drawing now "Just a little distracted. Did Frank bite you and turn you into a zombie too?"

This made her laugh.

****Cherry****

We ate pizza and I tried to avoid Franks gaze. Then we got our bags and went out. We 'Trick or Treat'-ed while we ate our pizza. Which I have to say was pretty epic! I mean free sweets and dressing up-I am so there! We got home and maybe had a few beers before Frank insisted we sat in a circle so he could open his presents. So we indulged his childish request and sat.

I was really excited as me and Mikey and Gerard had clubbed together to buy him something really special. It was a custom Les Paul in alpine white that we saw in the music shop. It was a hard colour choice but we went for white because as Gee said, 'If he doesn't like it he can paint it or some shit'.

"Rays first!" we told him as ray placed a package into his excited little paws. It burst open into 1000s of guitar picks in millions of colours, some with band designs, some neon hell there were even some that looked like they changed colour!

"Wow! I'm not gonna be able to lose those in a hurry! Thanks Raymond!" he said pulling ray into a man hug and ruffling the now freed fro.

"Ours next!" I said sitting behind him covering his eyes with my hands as Gee and Mikey retreated into the back room where we had stowed the guitar. They brought it in and I allowed Frank to see. His face was completely in shock as he saw the beautiful guitar for the first time.

"You guys got this for me?" his voice wavered at the end "You shouldn't have! It's so beautiful!"

He untied the purple ribbon at the neck and carefully, using one of the many picks Ray gave him, strummed a chord. Then another, and another and another until he had started playing a song. It was smoke on the water I think and as he played he told us

"Thanks so much you guys. This has been the best birthday ever and I'm gonna call her Pansy." he said gently patting his now newly named Pansy.

The excitement of the evening diffused pretty fast as first ray left and then the Way brothers. I sat on Franks bottom stair lacewing up my skates as Frank came to talk.

"Hey."

"Howdy. You have a nice birthday?" I said avoiding eye contact

"Yeah. Listen I'm really sorry."

"For what? I told you the kiss- consider it forgotten."

"We it obviously isn't cause I just made our whole friendship really awkward didn't I?" he asked rhetorically.

"Mm. Your own fault but nothing we can't work through."

His eyes lit up. "You think so?"

"I know so. What friends are for right?" I told him "Walk me home?"

****November****

****Mikey****

Cherry's upset. Ever since Frankie's birthday she's been upset. Distracted. This is okay for me because she just sits next to me and I get to consider how I am totally crushing on her but-

"Mikey are you even listening!" Gerard broke my train of thought "Cherry wanted to talk to you and cos you've got a free lesson first you should go visit her in her band practice."

"Oh er yeah." I said "I'll do that now."

"WAY YOU LITTLE GLASSES FAGGOT! IM GONNA KILL YOU!" came a scream. Oh shit. Who did I look at funny this time?

"Fuckin run idiot!" Gee shouted. I didn't need another invitation. I fucking legged it.

****Cherry****

"Okay can I get a bit more volume from the flutes please!" said the conductor "One more time and Joe! Try to keep up! Cherry manages!"

Joe next to me flicked his eyebrows up toward the ceiling and took his reed in his mouth. I copied him and we began. Suddenly at the edge of my field of vision a body flashed past the band room. Then again Mikeys face appeared at the door and he caught my gaze. 'Let me in!' he mouthed and almost in answer to my question of 'why?' a voice came from a way away.

"GLASSES EMO CAN'T RUN FOREVER YOU KNOW!"

Shit. In the split second I knew I had to help him. But how? I glanced by the door and then down at the reed in my mouth. I bit down. Hard. I knew it was done as I heard small hiss and crack and then a loud squeal.

The conductor stopped conducting to throw me an evil glare as the band collapsed to a stop.

"I think my reed snapped sorry." I shrugged

"5 minute break for instrument maintenance people! Let's do this better next time."

I rushed to the door where my case was and flung it open. Mikey collapsed through and I pushed him behind the drum kit as I snatched up my case.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing! What happened!" I almost shouted at him.

"I don't know but I came to see you!" he stuttered "Gee said you wanted to see me!"

I growled at him before shoving his shoulder. "Wait here!"

****Mikey****

I sat behind the drum kit, not wanting to move in case someone saw me.

"Here!" she thrust a package at my chest "Your birthday present arrived. It's an Anthrax shirt."

Wow. The girl knows me! I pulled it out of the crunchy, clear plastic wrapping and held it up to my chest.

"How do I look?" I said sounding really vain.

"Stupid. As usual." she moaned "ARRG I hate you!"

"Cherry what did I do! How did I upset you!" I panicked and went to sit on the floor next to the stool where she sat gyrating a reed off a saxophone.

"You made me break my reed you spastic! I hate you!" she angrily pulled the broken reed off, crushing it to splinters under her foot.

"I didn't know you played saxophone" I said, trying to change the subject, anything to make her happier "How long for?"

She stood up.

"Mikey Way the things you don't know about me could fill several books! You made me forget!" she shouted and then stood up, crying, and left the room.

****Cherry** **

6 months. Six whole months. And then for 5 blissful days I forget. And it's all their fault! They made me forget and that's why I took the drugs. To forget. And then Frank, Mikey, Ray and Gerard come along and are possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me and I forget. I forget that today I haven't seen my sisters face for 6 whole months and I never will again. ARRG it makes me sick!

I sat in the bathroom and cried. Then I took 3 Xanax. Then I needed more. So I broke my promise to Eva by reaching for the tiny plastic bag buried deep in my jeans pocket. I shook it and out onto my hand fell 1 tablet. LSD.

"I'm sorry E."

I fell onto the floor of the toilet stall in a crumpled heap and let bursts of brightness cloud my vision.

**A/N- DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N- So... Another chapter. Here is where I put something witty or interesting but, I digress. I am too tired and I can't be bothered. Enjoy and Review.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned anything in this story I wouldn't be writing it.**

**Chapter 7**

**(Again, Title-less)**

****Gerard****

Since Cherry had stormed out on Mikey first lesson none of us had found her. Mikey was carrying all her stuff around and feeling bad. He was blaming himself and I could tell. We looked everywhere and phoned her about a million times and sent her as many texts as we could afford credit for. Ray skipped 2nd lesson to check if she was at her house and she wasn't. I phoned and phoned and phone but she just didn't pick up.

"Frank! Any luck on the sports field?" Mikey said optimistically.

"No. No one has seen her all day! It's hopeless man."

The light left Mikeys eyes. He looked at the floor and started moaning to himself.

"This is all my fault! If I hadn't annoyed her this morning she wouldn't have run off..."

He tailed off. Frank sat next to him and patted his back.

"Its okay man. She can't have gone far. She probably just ran home or something. Plus it can't be your fault! She was unhappy this morning too."

Then Macy walked over to us as the end of the day bell rang.

"Hey. Are you guys looking for Cherry?" she asked, swinging her clarinet case in the air.

"Yeah. Do you know where she is?" I said maybe a little to enthusiastically

"Last I saw her she was sitting on the bathroom floor in that restroom" she said gesturing to a door "pretty damn unconscious."

****Cherry****

A bell woke me. The effects of the drug were almost gone but a little still remained so I guess maybe 5 hours. I picked myself off the bathroom floor and exited the toilet stall. I need to get home, to get home without the guys finding out anything and to carry on living like I'm a normal person. Not a broken mess dependant on anti-depressants and her memories.

"Cherry! Where were you!" came Mikeys adorable voice from my left as I exited the bathroom. Shit. I skated over to him and took my bag off him. He stood awkwardly, his knees bent at funny angles, about to speak but I interrupted.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Thank you!"

"Cherry you look a wreck and you've been crying. Something's wrong!" Gee butted in.

"Shut Up! You don't know and what you don't know isn't going to hurt you Gerard! So just leave it to hurt me okay!" I shouted and skated off. They ran after me so I skated faster. Ray, Frank, Mikey and Gee all ran after me but in the end I out-ran (out-skated) them.

****Frank****

We all followed her. Tears streamed down her porcelain cheeks as she turned back and her once bright greenish grey eyes were windows to a tortured soul, full of misery. She stopped outside her house and we caught up with her and Mikey grabbed her hand.

"Let Go! They aren't your problems okay! Leave me alone!" she broke down, contradicting every word she said by holding Mikeys hand tighter.

"No. But we want them to be. We're you best friends and we're worried about you." he said slowly wiping a tear from her wet cheek. She silently opened her door and walked in and up the stairs so we followed her. Right up to her room.

She sat on her floor swaying silently with her hands wrapped around her knees. We all surrounded her in a group hug. Don't know why it just seemed the right thing to do at the time. When we broke off she sat still and spoke.

"Mikey, do you remember what I said to you the first time we met?"

"That you wanted to get a book. That one." he pointed at the book sticking out of her bag "And that this gets harder."

"Before that." she wept

"Erm... That your sister liked it? No that can't have been you; you don't have a sister..."

She let out a loud sniffle. "That's where you're wrong. Gerard get the box that says Chicago for me. And look in it."

Gerard retrieved this box from the shelf and laid it delicately on the floor.

He opened it and took out the first thing, a picture of a house. Then a family, sort of happy looking with Cherry hugging close to a girl with yellowy blonde hair. School timetables and pictures of football games and marching band concerts and the like. All with this blond haired girl in. Then Cherry with a group of friends, a boy with blonde hair and a lip ring and a very pretty girl with black hair, impeccably pale skin with red lips. More things like this and then the pale girl disappeared and was replaced by a boy with short stubbly brown hair. Then a hospital letter saying that 'Eva Evans has cancer of the pancreas'. More photos, this time with the pale girl and another guy who was tall and skinny with black messy hair, a bit like Gees. A picture of Cherry doing this guys Halloween make up and a 'Chelsea smile'. Then more of the blond girl but this time like the one that Cherry carries in her bag. Her hair was dyed every colour of the rainbow but 3 photos on it was all gone, with a chemo cap on her head. Then a note in swirly handwriting.

_Dear all. This is Eva and I have cancer. Please don't judge or terrorise Cherry for putting this note everywhere, I made her do it. And yes I might die. But I need you all to be supportive. Signed Eva_

There was a long pause until Ray asked. "Older or younger sister?"

She almost burst with pain. "Twin". Then we all fell silent.

****Cherry****

They all sat in silence for a while.

"I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you guys. It's just it hurts so much I just try... To forget."

"You don't need to forget! You need to make it through with us." pleaded Gee "And please don't overdose again. We don't want you to die!"

"Who said I overdosed? Look at the letter." I said "I'm a washed up no hope drug addict Gerard!"

"No." Mikey said sternly "Not anymore you aren't. Cause we're going to help you."

I wriggled "You don't understand!" I shouted "Its not just the Xanax!- Urg!" I couldn't take it. I pulled the little packet from deep in my jean pocket labelled LSD and threw it at his face.

"So that's why." Gerard said judgmentally "That's why they found you on the bathroom floor. Why Cherry why?"

Frank took his hands. "Shh gee. She's like you were remember? She needs us"

"Yes. I need you. Because I didn't think I could make it through without her and now I know I can't. But I can with you guys." I cried throwing myself at Gerard "Forgive me Gee!"

"Yes. But first tell me why."

I took a broken breath in and said "It started just before Eva died when we found out she would die. I couldn't take it anymore so..." I lifted up my shirt off the terrible scars "I cut. Eva noticed. She made me promise not to but I needed another escape, so- Drugs. Then it carried on and got worse and worse after she died until 2 weeks before we moved here when I read that letter for the first time after a high and cutting. I never cut again but the drugs-"

"Started again now"

"Yes. Because I remembered. The drug haze faded. You wouldn't understand but I'm afraid to keep on living without her!"

"Cherry you gotta stay with us! We aren't afraid to keep on living so you don't need to walk this world alone." Mikey held out his hand to me "You with us?"

The rest of them did too. I hesitantly breathed shakily before...

****Mikey****

"Always" she took my hand and we all held her close in a group hug. Then we cheered her up by promising to go roller-skating with her as soon as the weather was right. We watched The Nightmare before Christmas, her favourite movie and she looked happier. Not much mind but for a moment a smile graced her pretty lips which was enough.

Me and Gee left last. I asked him if I could have a moment to talk to her and he said sure, he'd wait outside.

"Thank you Mikey. Thank you all for understanding. I thought you'd just see me for the stupid weak little girl I am and get annoyed I hadn't told you earlier-" I interrupted her by putting a finger over her lips.

"Shh. You are no way weak. You're braver than all of us! Hell if Gee died I don't know how I'd cope 6 days without my friends let alone 6 months! I'm so sorry about your sister. But you have to know, as long as you've got me-us, you can make it."

She giggled a tiny bit. "Whoa Mikey. That's pretty deep for you. You should write songs."

"I know right." I said hugging her tight. I slipped my hand into her back pocket and removed the drugs "You won't be needing that." I whispered in her ear and kissed her forehead gently.

"See you tomorrow Cherry. Stay strong for me okay?" I said my hand lingering in hers at the door.

"Always. You guys are the only hope for me." she whispered as the door shut between us. I put the drug packet I took from her in a trashcan and mulled over her words. Yes. For Cherry I would even wait all night, until my heart explodes. She fills my head with words and I decided, that day, I would put those words into songs. Who knows, maybe I can get Gerard to sing?

****Cherry****

I felt shaken. I knew I had Gerard and Ray and Frank and of course Mikey but as he went out the door I needed reassurance. I felt so alone and broken but they knew I was strong. I know who else does . My hand went to the phone and automatically dialled the number, the only number I knew I could trust. Tyson's number.

"Hello this is the Ritter household. Whose calling?"

"Momma Ritter! It's me Cherry!" I said into the phone, the voice of the woman who was practically my mom for 7 years of my life filling me with positivity.

"Cherry baby! I hope your okay still. Tyson's just in his room with Nick hang on... Tyson! Cherry's on the phone!"

I heard thumping of feet on the carpeted stairs in Tyson's house and some shouting.

"Cherry! Baby have we missed yooou! Nicks here can I put you on speaker?" Tyson's familiar upbeat Oklahoma twang came down the phone.

"Sure Ty." I murmured

"Awesome. Say howdy to Nick!"

"Howdy to Nick!" I giggled.

"Cherry! How you been? How's Jersey?" Nick said as I felt warm all over. I know that these guys know me.

"Okay... It's just... Since Eva's gone it's never been the same y'know. And I just had to tell my new friends about her so."

"Cherry you know what I'm gonna say" Tyson said "All you gotta keep is strong so move along! Even if it's just to make it through! You can't spend your whole life trapped in your memories you know."

"Yeah" Nick added "We'll still be here when you do though. We always are. Out here in Oklahoma waiting for you and you jetset life to catch up with us."

I grinned like a goon. "Thank you guys. You have no idea how much I needed that."

"No problem C." Ty said

"Happy to help" Nick said sunnily

"You sound like a shop assistant. We need to see each other soon! How about you guys come up here on my birthday?" I asked

"Now that sounds like a plan. Mom! Can we go up to jersey for Cherry's birthday?"

"I don't see why not!" came Momma Ritters distant voice

"Yes defiantly! Hey Cherry. Cheer up for us Kay?" Ty beamed down the phone

"I'll try Ty. G'bye you two!"

"See ya C!" they shouted down the phone until I heard the dial beep. That was when I knew what I had to do. I had to move along to make it through.

This is why I love Tyson and Nick.

****Mikey****

The next day at school Cherry was happy. Not the shallow sort of happy that she had been for as long as we had known her but truly happy.

"Mikey! I'm really sorry for what I called you yesterday. Forgive me?" she asked across the hall as we both went to our lockers.

"Sure. Nothing to forgive now I know why. D'ya want to meet up in the holidays? Cause I mean I'd like that." I stumbled over the last sentence. Smooth Mikey real smooth. But she didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah I'd like that too. Call me okay."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N- Okay, I haven't died. I was on a French Exchange, stuff happened, my nickname was pronounced wrongly, very little French was spoken, hungry was pronounced 'Angry', I spoke hardly any French and much fun was had by all. But I'm back now :D**

**This chapter has some people from Black Veil Brides in and I know I changed the ages. If you really hate it that much then tell me in a review okay? Or if you don't then review anyway **

**DISCLAIMER FOR THE WHOLE REST OF THE STORY: I do not own and Bands, Brands or People you might recognise. **

**Chapter 8**

****Cherry****

Christmas was dull. It didn't snow as it had been threatening and we had no one to visit. So we sat in the front room, all three of us possibly for the first time since mum started her new job and had some time as a family. Yeah its cheesy I know but that's what it was. We watched Christmas morning TV and talked about the so called celebrities. Then we opened our presents.

'To Cherry love Mum'

This was a misshapen parcel containing a new camera. A proper digital SLR with all the fancy stuff just like I had wanted for ages!

"Thanks mum! Oh my gosh this is so cool!" I leapt at her dragging her into a hug.

"Don't worry about it darling. You'll need it if you're going to carry on being such an amazing photographer!" she said patting my back. She over-exaggerates there but I've got to admit, I am pretty good with a camera. All the photos in our house were taken by me and back in Chicago I ran a small business as an amateur photographer taking photos for people. Mostly of their kids running around and stuff and it was pretty successful but I couldn't face it after Eva got sick.

'Cherry. Love Josh.'

This was a new snare drum. Mine had broken 3 days earlier during a slightly over-enthusiastic drum solo. I hugged him and went to the next thing.

'To Cherry. Lots of love, The Ritter Family'

It was a denim jacket. It must have cost an awful lot and it was beautifully amazing. I sat there just taking in the awesomeness of it. There were a few studs on the collar and the cuffs were fabric and tight. Wow. It had to be the most awesome jacket I've ever owned ever. I pulled it on and breathed in. It smelt of Tyson and Stillwater and good things. Then folded up in a pocket I found a note

*' My dear Cherry. This is your song beautiful! Lots of love your best friend Ty.'*

*'Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking, when you fall everyone stands. Another day and you've had your fill of sinking with the life held in your, hands are shaking cold, these hands are meant to hold. Speak to me! When all you gotta keep is strong move along move along like I know ya do. And even when your hope is gone move along move along just to make it through. So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends. Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving, all the pain held in your, hands are shaking cold, your hands are mine to hold!... That's all I got. Goodbye beautiful. Love you like heaven and miss you like hell. From your one and only Tyson.*

The song made me want to cry and hug Tyson but he wasn't there so I settled for breathing in his scent through the jacket. The day I lost myself completely, the night when my life ends- the overdose day, waste my days with thinking- trying to forget. It all makes sense. I bet it sounds beautiful in his voice.

"Hey Flame Head, what you got there?" Josh leant over me.

"Ty wrote me a song. It's beautiful." I murmured in reply.

"See! Why don't you just marry him or something?"'

He jokes about this all the time and now he ruined the moment. Grr. In my futile anger I threw a sofa cushion at his head before passing Tyson's letter once more through my fingers and hiding it in a pocket, for the memories.

'Cherry. Good luck in jersey, hope this helps you along. Nick'

I tore open the package to find one of Nicks mix-tapes . This one was entitled 'Cherrys Cd' and I looked on the back to see the track listing. It was a compilation he had made for me with all my favourite bands. Queen, Green day, Kiss, Blink 182, , David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, The Misfits, The Ramones, AC/DC, Sex pistols, Nirvana, Black flag and Guns and Roses. Hehe. The man knows me! Yeah I know I like rock and punk. Shoot me.

'Cherry. Miss ya. From Andy'

It was a fully square box wrapped in black paper with Jack Skellington all over it. I took off the paper carefully and folded it into a pile before looking at the present. It was a set of stage makeup and face paint in every possible colour with hundreds of brushes in every size. Wow. I really needed a new set, mine had all but ran out on Halloween with the guys.

"Thanks Andy." I whispered to nothing in particular. I guess I owe him another makeover.

'Cherry I miss Bob.'

Hehe. Bob Bryar misses me. How cute. Naww I'm joking I miss him too. I opened the present to find a photo album half filled with all the photos of us. Me, him and Kira. In the last frame before the empty ones had a note that said 'Fill it up for me Cherry Pie'.

"Here Cherry open this. It's from Kira and I think you'll like it!" my mom said handing me an envelope. I opened it and out fell a letter and a plane ticket.

*'To Cherry. Because I can't come and see you and Andy you two are coming to see me. Isn't that awesome? The plane leaves on the 27th of December so get packing. You'll be back on the 2nd of January so lucky you. 6 whole days in England. Bring your drumsticks. Love Kira'*

Damn I love her. Kira is my best friend in the whole world ever and not even the Atlantic ocean can stop her from making me smile. Her dad is something to do with politics and they are insanely rich so she gets whatever she likes but never acts like a spoilt brat. She's awesome. And I'm going to see her at new year!

"Oh my gosh mum can I go!" I hyperventilated

"Of course you can Cherry! Now c'mon put all your presents away already. I gotta clean up."

I nodded and took all my presents upstairs. Then I realized I had 5 left. I pulled them out from under my bed and looked at them... Hmm. Which one first? Mikey.

'Dear Cherry. Merry Christmas love Mikey'

I opened it and found some new drumsticks. Good ones. They balanced perfectly on my fingers and twirled through them like no drumsticks I had ever had before. Then the design. It was flames coming from the bottom over the wood and the top was slightly coloured to look burned. Wow. I am officially in love with them.

'Cherry. From Ray'

It was another Queen tee. It said 'The Show must go on' in gold lettering on the black shirt.

'Cherry. From Mrs Way'

There an was obligatory Christmas jumper and another note. 'Gerard, Frank, Ray and Mikey all have one too. Its Christmas!'

I laughed and pulled the jumper over my head, my eyes filling with grey wool and then air. Hehe I look silly. That was probably the point and I doubt anyone can not look silly in a oversized grey jumper with red diamonds on. I really like Gee and Mikeys mom and I think she likes me to. She likes to think that I'm a good influence on her sons. I'm guessing its cause I take responsibility for my own hangovers.

'To Cherry. Love Frankie.'

It was a Tim Burton boxset. These guys know me better than I thought... Naww I love em.

'To Cherry. Love and Kisses Gee.'

Inside was a little sketchbook. It was full of drawings of a marching band, a parade almost, all dressed in black marching proudly across the pages. It made me want to cry. Evas parade captured so perfectly in his wonderful artwork just how I imagined it. On the last page was a letter. 'Feel lucky. I don't just draw for anyone you know.'

I felt lucky.

**Morning of the 27****th**

"Hey Cherry. Wake up." Joshes annoying voice came through my ears. I sat up to something heavy on my lap.

"Josh what the?" I opened my eyes to see an electric bass living on my lap "What's this?"

"Its a bass dumbass. One of the guys at work gave it to me and I don't want it. So it's yours. Now get up, Andy and his friend are in the kitchen." he said

"Hey Josh? I'm going to give it to Mikey is that okay?"

"Fine by me Flame head!"

I sat up in bed and pushed the bass off my lap. Then I got up and dressed in my tightest skinny jeans and black and red converses. I put on my KISS shirt and ringed my eyes with eyeliner adding extra cause I knew Andy would be wearing more. Grabbing my suitcase took a scrap of paper from my desk and wrote a note

_'Mikey. Happy belated Christmas. Love and kisses Cherry' _

before tucking it between the strings of the bass and kissing it. My lipstick smudged on the paper so I reapplied it before dragging my case down the stairs.

"Cherry!" Andy shouted from the kitchen. He stood leant against the counter with his impossibly skinny legs crossed and a cigarette in-between his thin lips. His hair was longer than I remembered, halfway down his neck and ink black and his piercing blue eyes stood out amongst all this black and eyeliner like icicles. He grabbed my waist and pulled me into a huge hug.

"Missed you!" I told him

"Missed you too Cherry Pie. This is Ashley by the way. He's coming to England with us." he gestured to the other guy leaning on the counter. His hair was about the same length as Andy's but straighter, his eyes were really dark brown, almost black. Him and Andy wore similar tight leather pants and black tees the only difference being Andy's said AC/DC and Ashley's said IRON MAIDEN.

"Hey. Andy talks a lot about you." Ashley said.

"Aw thanks. Good or bad?" I asked as an afterthought.

"He said you were hot. Can I?" he said gesturing at the open cigarette packet I had pulled out of my pocket. I blushed and nodded. We pulled our bags outside and hailed a taxi. It took a while cause not many taxis pick up goth looking kids at 6am but we finally piled into a taxi with all our cases and Andy's guitar and Ashley's Bass and headed for JFK.

"Whoa this is awesome!" I shouted throwing my arms in the air as the luggage trolley slid across the smooth floor. Ash ran after it and took my wrist, pulling me off before it slammed into a wall. He lifted me into his arms and asked "How old are you?" in disbelief.

"16 almost 17. C'mon you gotta try this" I told him as he put me down. I saw the emotions process in his face before he said "Oh Fuck It!" and dragged the luggage trolley over and sat on it.

After a few rounds on the luggage trolleys me and Ashley collapsed onto each other on the floor.

"Wow that's pretty cool. D'ya wanna race?" Ashley asked, pushing me off his chest.

I raised my eyebrows and asked him "How old are You?"

"16 almost 17."

We race each other across the waiting lounge until Andy came back with coffee. When he did we were deep in an argument over who won the last race.

"I totally beat you!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Andy put the coffee down on a table before staring at us both in disbelief.

"How old are you two?" he sighed

"2!" Ashley shouted

"And a half!" I chipped in.

Andy sighed in disbelief again and told us "I'm gonna drink both your coffee as it seems neither of you need the caffeine."

"Hey!" me and Ash said in unison before all three of us collapsed with the giggles.

"Hey, Cherry. I think that's our flight." came a soft male voice from above my head. I had fallen asleep on Ashleys shoulder just after the trolley racing incident and it was now 8 and our flight had just been announced.

"Mm. Kay." I said lifting my head off him "How long did I sleep for?"

"Only about 15 minutes. I would have woken you up to ask if you were gonna drink your coffee but you looked so peaceful so I let it go cold."

"Thanks I think." I said massaging my temples lightly as I stood up. He really is nice.

The sound of slashes sweet child o mine guitar solo rang through the departure lounge, doing battle with the announcers voice. Everyone looked at the direction of the offending awesome song therefore straight at us.

"That's mine sorry." I held up a hand to apologise. The display said MIKEY in big letters so I pushed the talk button.

"You've reached the US government office for control of teenage rebellion, how can I help you?" I said as seriously as I could muster.

"Cherry do you ever answer the phone seriously?"

"Nope. So Mikes, how's it going?"

"Good actually," his familiar voice came flooding into my ears "Listen I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come over. Also we're having a new year party and I wonder if you could come to that too?"

Damn I forgot to tell him I wasn't in the country.

"Oh no err sorry Mikey I'm at the airport at the moment. Me and Andy and Ashley are going to England until the second so I can't I'm sorry."

I could hear his tone of voice drop.

"Oh okay. Call me when you get there okay?"

"I will and I'll get you a present- speaking of presents. Your Christmas present is in my bedroom."

Ashley piped up "That sounds so dirty."

"Shut up Ashley."

"Who's that?" Mikey asked confused

"Don't worry he's a dirty mind. Anyway go get your present and tell me if you like it okay?"

"I will. Love ya C."

"Love you to Mikey Way! Byeeee!"

"No I'm not! I'm a _Purdy_ mind!" Ashley remarked as soon as I put the phone down.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Same as a dirty mind but sicker, more vocal and exclusive to me."

I hit him playfully round the back of his head and we boarded the plane.

Yawn. So tiered. I hate planes. It seemed Ashley agreed with me as he was moaning softly in his sleep in the seat next to me. We had just touched down and it was late. Maybe 10 at night but it felt like late afternoon. Urg. I hate jetlag too. We stepped off the plane together taking our first yawning breaths of English air. At the baggage reclaim people gave us some pretty funny looks as me and Ashley stood looking at Andy who was trying to surf on the conveyer belt. I guess they thought we were pretty weird. I'm pretty sure the security guard thought so too cause as soon as we got our bags he kicked us out.

"Cherry!" Kira shouted across the arrivals lounge. She greeted me with a hug and a barrage of questions

"How are you? How's jersey? Are you still on those drugs? Do you have any friends? Are they nice? Have you got a boyfriend? Did you get laid yet? Are you still alive? Have you been mugged?" she hyperventilated at me.

I looked at her wondering how someone could even speak so fast. Her short black hair was styled similarly to Andy's, framing her face and her green eyes popped out of her face cause of the eyeliner. She wore a black skirt and fishnets with holes in and a black torn up shirt with a red tank top underneath. Sigh.

"Fine. Fine. Yes unfortunately. Yes. Yes. No. No. Obviously and No!" I half shouted quickly

"Good!" she shouted and look a deep breath "Lets go home shall we?"

**A/N- If you really hate the whole them in England bit that much then I can skip it. But I'd rather not and you're gonna have to tell me why you find it so unbearable. Okay? **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N- Okay I am sorry for not updating sooner. But as you guys haven't reviewed so i have no pestering (Hint hint, I'm lazy and you should review more so i want to get this updated.)**

**I have gotten The Drug In Me Is You- Falling in Reverse and Tears Don't fall- BFMV stuck in my head. Not that I'm complaining because they're both cool songs but...**

**Anyway, me and Merry got the most awesome idea for a story based on the music video for Punk Rock 101 by Bowling for Soup. If you would like any more details PM me but all shall be reviled at a later date. Here we go**

**Chapter 9**

Kira is the self proclaimed master of sarcasm. She's incredibly blunt and can always make me and Andy laugh and she knows it. She's really English for someone who lived in America for bloody ages. Like stereotypical English. She drinks a lot of tea and likes scones, hates French people and thinks any Americans that aren't her friends are stupid.

"Kira why'd you ask if Cherry'd got laid not to sound like party poison?" Ashley asked as Kira kept her eye on the road and we all sat in her red VW beetle convertible. We all looked at him like he was some kind of retarded.

"Dude, consenting age in England is 16" Andy said bluntly.

"Oh. I knew that." he said rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"Sure you did." Kiras blunt voice came from the front seat. I was tiered at this point and lent on Ashley's shoulder and he squeezed my waist. I fell into a beautiful dreamless sleep.

"Mornin sleepyhead! Don't you look adorable when you sleep!" Ashley's smooth voice awoke me.

"Shuddup!" I moaned throwing the nearest pillow at him. It hit him directly in the centre of his bare chest and he coiled up.

"Ow I'm so wounded!" he faked dieing on the carpeted floor. I recognised the view out the window as south Kensington and I realized this was Kiras house.

"How did I get in here? I swear I fell asleep in the car."

"I carried you." he got up and shrugged "And your case got brought up by Kiras dads assistant."

"Mm. Are you even wearing anything?" I looked at him standing at the end of my bed in boxer shorts.

"Obviously." he gestured down to his legs.

"That doesn't count. Shouldn't you put some clothes on?"

"Aww c'mon you're enjoying it really!" he said perching himself at the edge of my bed.

"How do you know I don't have a massive jock boyfriend who'll beat the shit out of you back home in jersey?" I said sarcastically. Ashley smirked.

"You told Kira you didn't have a boyfriend and you hadn't got laid!"

"So I did..." I mumbled "Didn't think about that..."

"Thought not. So you do enjoy this?" he asked placing a hand on my leg making me very aware of the fact I was only in my pants and bra. Before I had a chance to have a how the fuck did that happen panic attack the door opened. Andy stood in the doorway and raised an eyebrow at us. Ashley raised and eyebrow back and said "What d'ya want Andy?"

"Oh nothing. I was just looking for Kiras room. I'll leave you two alone again." he said shutting the door.

"Did he have lipstick on his mouth?" I asked Ashley.

"You know what I think he did!" he said giggling "I knew he was gonna get with Kira!"

"I know. He's had a crush on her since forever!" I told him

"Okay this is gonna be funny. We've gotta pretend we don't know their together and see how long them subtly sneaking around lasts. K?"

"Okay. I'm gonna go back to sleep it's like 4am."

"Me too. Do you mind if I stay here?" he said, knowing he was pushing his luck. I snarled at him and rolled my eyes.

"Go on then." I said shuffling over as he slid in the bed beside me. I snuggled into his chest and breathed him in. He smelt spicy, of cigarettes and makeup. I traced the words tattooed on his stomach for a little while before slipping into a peaceful sleep.

I woke up and Ashley was gone so I decided it was morning. I stood and stripped off all my clothes and entered the bathroom. Then I turned on the shower and stood under the warming water letting it wash away all the sweat, exhaustion and makeup of the previous day. I scrubbed shampoo and conditioner into my messy scarlet bed head and washed myself with soap. Then I got out of the shower and towel dried myself. Wrapping the towel around my body I brushed my teeth and washed my face.

I dressed in tight black jeans and an even tighter white shirt. Then I pulled my leather jacket over the top and headed downstairs, ignoring the fact I just saw Andy and Kira walk into her room looking slightly out of breath. I really don't want to know what they just did or what they're just going to do so I pretended I never saw them. I slunk downstairs and after opening a few doors discovered the kitchen.

"Good morning sleepyhead. Coffee?" Ashley said at me now wearing tight leather trousers but still no shirt.

"Mm yes." I said as he handed me a fresh mug of coffee. I held it up to my face and drank looking at him.

"Thanks. Did you see where my hand luggage got put?" I asked him. He stood there pouting for a few seconds and finally said "Yes. But I'll only tell you if you give me a kiss."

Urg. Childish! I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek but he turned around and kissed my mouth. It felt wrong, like I was cheating on someone but I didn't know who it was. I broke off him and growled.

"I hate you. You'd better go get my bag before I knock you out."

He left the room in a jog.

Andy walked through the door a few steps in front of Kira. They got coffee and refrained from any public displays of affection. Andy sat next to me and asked "Wassup Cherry Pie?"

"Nothing. I need my pills and Ashley said he'd get them for me but he wound me up so now I need them even more!" I whined

"What are these the fuck up your brain drugs? They're not good for ya C!"

"Yeah I know. But hey."

Ashley returned to the room with my small bag and threw it at me. I caught and ripped it open to pull out my Xanax. I swallowed 2 with the last mouthfuls of my coffee and breathed out deeply.

"Mm. That's better. So what are we gonna do today?" I asked now mentally stable.

"We're gonna go out and see the sights!" Kira squealed "It'll be awesome! Gonna go on a proper London bus and you know, do English stuff!"

We all sighed at Kiras obsession with her own Englishness. But secretly we all wanted to explore London as much as she did, it's an awesome place to be.

We set out after Ashley had put a shirt on and Andy had brushed his hair. Okay I lie, we all did our makeup first and Ashley took longest just so ya know. Then we got on a tube. It was really awesome, like an underground train. Kira didn't think it was that much a big deal, she gets one every day to school but for us 3 American kids it was amazing. We got off at Camden market and felt more at home. People marvelled at our American accents in every shop we visited and I bought a new shirt. It was a black button-up with a collar but no sleeves.

Then we got on a bus. We were loud, obnoxious and played music way too loudly on our phones but we didn't care. We were having way too much fun. We got off at the tower of London and Kira insisted we went in. So we payed the admission price and went on in. We explored the dingy rooms and then me and Ashley lost track of Kira and Andy. We didn't care though. We walked the dingy corridors and dark rooms talking about our best horror movies and books. About vampires and about being bullied and how being labelled 'Emo' sucks balls. We have a lot in common you know. But I wouldn't date him. He brings out the worst of me.

"Hey. Dya want to look down here?" his husky voice whispered at me "It'll be awesome there's no one around."

I smiled a kind of rebellious half-smile that I haven't smiled in a long long time. Yes. His cocky manner and annoying dirty mind do so get on my nerves but we just clicked you know? He's the kind of person I would greet with an insult but secretly really want to talk to.

"Yeah okay. What's over there?" I asked.

"Oh I don't know. Probably some random bedroom where some king used to make babies with prostitutes." he said completely nonchalantly. I forced my hand over my mouth and bit my lip to hide the laughter. "You can't just say that!"

"Why not?" he grinned

"You just... ARRG I don't know! You just can't!"

"Just watch me!"

****Kira****

Me and Andy were all over the place, running around so high on each other's company we hardly noticed that we had lost Cherry and Purdy.

"What's the betting they hook up?" Andy asked slipping his hand in mine.

"I don't know. Cherry has this guy she really likes back in jersey but..." I paused "Hang on. Do you want to go over there?"

Oh hello Kira. What are you doing down here?" the familiar guard asked me

"Oh nothing. This is my boyfriend Andy over from America and I was just wondering... Nah don't worry." I said

"Oh go on. If you want you can look in the torture chambers, here take my keys. I'm clocking off anyway so just hang them on the nail when you're done looking." he said holding out a bunch of keys. I took them and said "Thank you! You're awesome, c'mon Andy!" I said dragging Andy to the door to the torture chambers. I unlocked it and in one swift motion shut it behind us

"How do you know that guy?" he asked

"Oh I come here to talk to the ravens from time to time." I said using my fingers to do eeny meeny miiny mo on the doors to decide which one.

"That one c'mon!" I dragged him to the door and pulled it shut behind us.

Then I locked it and felt his arms round my waist

"How long have we got?" he asked

"Long as you like if we're quite." I said his closeness making me breathless

"Good cause I only need 15 minutes" he said pulling my shirt over my head and pushing my back against the wall as I felt 100s of years of paint and ground in blood scratch me. GAHH! This is so wrong. But I let those thoughts subside as his shirt pulled over his head and I wrapped my legs around his hips.

****Cherry****

When we got to the door at the end of the hallway it wasn't much. Just a dingy hall with no one in it.

At 4 so about 2 hours after we arrived me and Ashley had been waiting outside for half an hour.

"Should I call them again?" I asked

"Oh don't worry. I don't think you need to." he said patting my shoulder and pointing at the group of people leaving. Amongst them was Andy and Kira holding hands looking slightly sweaty and completely loved up. They're hands unlinked when they got to us and Kira said "Where did you guys go? We looked for you."

"Really? We were too busy looking for you two." I said rolling my eyes at her silently communicating 'Tell me everything'

"Oh. We got lost." Andy said in a raspy voice, nudging Kira "Well I reckon that's way too much excitement for one day. Let's go home shall we?"

****Back in jersey****

****Mikey****

I was bored. Here in cold shitty jersey thinking of Cherry who was probably in England right now and I can guarantee I haven't crossed her mind. It was midday. Doing the math I figured that made it about 5pm in England and she would hopefully answer her phone. Phone. I remembered the phone call I had given her yesterday and something about a present. Curiosity killed the cat Mikey! Aw damn it I wanna know what it is. So I got off my bed and stopped throwing the ball at the wall like some reject from the great escape and decided to do something. I slipped quietly downstairs and pulled a coat over my shoulders. Then I walked silently out of the front door to Cherry's house.

At her house her older brother greeted me with a smile and the comment "Cherry's in America, didn't she tell you?"

"Err yeah." I said awkwardly, regretting I ever came "She said she left something for me?"

His face became a picture of understanding. "Ahh. You're Mikey aren't you? Do you play an instrument?"

Slightly baffled by the random question I told the truth. "No. But I'd love to play bass."

His face became even more understanding which confused me. He gestured upstairs.

"You know where her room is right."

I did. Walking slowly upstairs I admired the photos hanging on the wall. Artistic, beautiful photos with subjects that suck you in and make you feel. Then I gently opened Cherry's door. It was similar to how I remember it but the only difference was a beautiful bass guitar laying on the bed. Could it be?

I lifted the bass up by its slim neck and pulled a small note out from the strings.

'Mikey. Happy belated Christmas. Love and kisses Cherry'

It had a lip-gloss kiss mark over the text. Whoa. She got this for me?

****Mikey flashback****

_Mikey stands nervously by his locker and puts his books away. A dick of a jock comes over and shoves his head in._

_"Don't let it get ya down Mikes. Could you walk with me to music?" Cherry asks from next to him, biting her lip. He stuttered "Oh sure" and they walk. He trys to talk to her by asking her what instrument she plays. "Drums." she says with a smile "You?". He bites his lip. He plays enough trombone to not fail music but other than that_

_"I don't. But I'd love to play bass."_

****Flashback ends****

I looked up from the bass to see Josh, standing by the door.

"Is it good? A friend of mine at work just got a better one and gave that one to me so I gave it to Cherry. She wanted you to have it."

I mutely nodded and began to try and play. It wasn't really anything special, just a fender standard bass in deep navy blue almost black but to me it was.

"Why didn't you keep it?" I asked josh, looking up from the bass

"What goods a bass gonna do me? I'm a pianist for fucks sake." he said sitting next to me "I can get you the case and some music for it if you'd like?"

"Yeah." I mumbled "I'd like that."

****UK****

****Cherry****

At around 6pm I got a call from Mikey.

"I Fuckin love you, you know that." his excitable voice came through the receiver.

"Aw thank you. I love you too. Do you like the bass?" I asked flopping onto my back on the sofa.

"Yes! It's beautiful and amazing and I am totally in love with it. It sounds so good too. Your brother lent me an amp"

Ashley chose the moment that I said "I thought you loved me?" to walk in the room

"I love you more. But it's an instrument thing and she is a pretty sexy bass right?"

I laughed. "Yes Mikey. You are now the proud owner of possibly the sexyist bass in the world."

Ashley snorted jealously. "That's a matter of opinion."

"Shut up Ash."

"Whose that C?" Mikeys confused voice asked.

"Oh no one. Just some really annoying guy."

Mikeys infectious laugh came down the phone and Ashley looked a little annoyed. He slid closer to me but I just pushed him off and continued to talk to Mikey.

"So how's things with you?"

"Oh it's okay. Gees stressing majorly cause he's compiling his art college application this week and mom has loads of people coming round at new years who are gonna all be like 'Ooo Mikey haven't you grown' but other than that... Fuckin Peachy."

"Mm. I miss you know."

He sucked air. "I miss you too. Hey erm, when you get back d'you wanna go on a date somewhere? We could see a film or get food or-"

"A film. I'd like that. It's a date!" I said, suddenly totally in love with the feeling in my stomach. I heard him whisper 'Yes!' to himself before saying.

"Okay. Have fun in England okay? Don't miss me too much. Same time tomorrow?"

"Yes. G'bye Mikey. Love you."

"Love you too C. Bye" his voice came as I heard the dial tone. God he makes me feel funny.

****31st December****

I woke up at some stupid time in the morning and needed an energy drink. I know I drink it all the time but sometimes coffee doesn't quite cut it. So I made my way downstairs and opened the kitchen door. Big mistake. Andy was pushing Kira to the kitchen worktop and she sat on it with her legs wrapped round his waist. They were making out and didn't stop when I came in.

"You guys! I was just-err- you know what- Never mind." I said before shutting the door behind me. Ew. Okay now I'm scarred for life.

Grabbing my skates I left the house and went to a co-op round the corner. I bought my red bull and went to a park to drink it. Then my phone rang.

"Cherry hey. I know it's really early in the morning but I wanted to talk to you." came Macys soft New York lilt.

"Oh hey Macy. You do know I'm in England now yeah?"

"Uh huh. Mikey told me. Listen I know this sounds like a stupid question to ask over the phone but..."

"Macy what's wrong! Tell me!" I started to panic. No no no! She can't be upset. She's always so happy! Isn't she?

"Cherry how would you deal with heartbreak?" came a wounded sniffle through the phone. Oh. It would be wouldn't it. Her jerk of a jock boyfriend kicked her to the kerb on new year's.

"Macy listen. Don't do anything stupid like beg for him back and don't whatever you do, don't do what I did..." at this point I faltered. I never told her what I did to deal with the heartbreak the only guy I ever liked caused me. Hell I didn't even tell the guys that that was part of it. Hell I didn't even let myself think of it.

"Cherry what did you do?" she wavered.

"Something monumentally stupid and dumb. I'll be back on the 2nd and you have to tell me everything. Just hang tight Macy okay?"

She sniffed back tears. "But it's so hard cherry! I just want to curl up and fucking die what he said to me and about me! Now everyone thinks I'm a whore!". At this I panicked. "Right Macy here's what you gotta do. You've gotta go to my house and when your there I want you to phone Gerard or Frank or Ray or Mikey. Hell, phone all of them! And then you tell them where you are and exactly what you've just told me. And promise you'll phone me tomorrow okay!" I said trying to stay calm

"Okay. I'll do that. Thanks C. I don't know what I'd do without ya. Bye" I heard the dial tone and in my head said a silent plea of help for Macy. Gerard is obviously going to come up with some ridiculous revenge fantasy but I'm sure it'll be nothing right? Right...


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N- Hello again! It's okay I'm still here, I was just busy and stuff. I'm considering making these chapters longer, would you guys mind that? But I would update less frequently. Please tell me your opinions in a review or else I'll just decide myself. Which would mean making an executive decision; which I suck at. Also, when FF decides kick out band stories, Me and Kira are either moving to Wattpad or Archive of our Own. So I will tell you when I decide and you can follow this story there if you want.**

**Chapter 10**

**(DOUBLE FIGURES! YES!)**

"Hey girls hurry up! We're gonna be late!" Andy's voice came from downstairs. I sat in my party clothes on my bed, my whole body trembling as I held the neck of the bottle so hard my knuckles were white. I was gonna do this. I spilled 3 LSD tablets onto the bed and breathed deep. Inside my head I could almost hear voices in full argument.

You see the broken mess that is Cherry Evans has never been good around people. The dead body lying in the casket that is Eva Evans was always good with people but I'm not her. Without her I'm not a shadow of her or 'The other twin' I'm just nothing. A weak pathetic excuse for a human being who just can't listen to her friends when they tell her she means something to them and relies on these little white pills as her only vice. Breathing deep I threw all 3 pills into my mouth and threw my head back to drown them in alcohol. Then I smile in the haze. It's been a month since the last time and again I break my promise. Way to choose your poisons Cherrypie.

****New Jersey****

****Gerard****

You don't have to do this Gerard I tell myself. You've managed the last three months so why now?

I shake the doubts out of my head and swallow the pills. A whole mouthful. Cause the only girl I ever loved has pictures of her and her boyfriend doing dirty stuff everywhere. He put them up around the whole neighbourhood and me and Mikey just spent a whole day taking them down. Because I love her. And I can't take it.

The pills slip down my throat like water and I bite my tongue. I stroke the white marks on my shoulder with the edge of my razorblade now in a haze of things I should feel but can't. All there is is the cold feeling of the blade on my half healed skin. It's worse than Cherry's. This is when I stop. She went through worse that a little heartbreak and she managed to stop this. I have no right or reason. I should be strong like she was. But then the overdose kicked in so I dropped the razorblade and curled up asleep on the floor of my basement room.

****UK****

****Cherry****

"Cherry you coming!" Kira's voice rang in my ears. I picked myself up and adjusted the shoulders of my tank top. I feel stronger now.

"I'm ready!"

The party was already in full swing when we crossed the road to the house of Kira's neighbours where it was being held. People were dancing to the incredibly loud rock music from inside in the front garden, there were people on the roof and everyone was enjoying themselves. I vaguely remember sitting in the front room and drinking a lot. Alcohol heavy in my system I stood to dance on the furniture. I remember being offered some weed. I politely accepted and took a long drag on what whoever it was gave me. I breathed deep and let my whole world go weird.

"Three. Two. One. Happy New year!" everyone screamed. Then the music resumed as fireworks set off in the background. Someone started a glitter fight with bags of the stuff and I got right in, getting my whole body covered. I shook the worst off my clothes but it stuck to my skin because of the sweat. So I smoked more weed. I saw Andy and Kira sitting by a huge white wall with some magic markers drawing. It was probably a mixture of the ADHD they both have as well as the drugs and booze but the concentration on their faces was hilarious. I guess they'd gotten bored of shagging against the front door. Then after that I remember a kiss and then...

I awoke to blindingly bright and warm sunshine on my face. I was extremely aware that I had had too much to drink as I could not remember a thing and that is the only thing that can kill my memory. My legs were kind of cold and wet. Wet? I opened my eyes. I was laying in a half filled bath in what was probably once a bathroom. My whole body except my head was underwater and my head was resting on- Shitcakes. Ashley Purdy's naked chest. Was I... Yep I was naked too. Shit.

As the realization struck me that 'You lost your virginity last night and you don't even remember' I wanted to have a panic attack. But even I am not that stupid. I slowly sat up in the bath and stepped out. My clothes were scattered on the floor, mixed in with his in a vague trail from the door. The room was full of paper cups and confetti and I mean literally full. Ankle deep. The only other person in the room was a girl I don't think I know with her head in the sink. Her hands and head were ductaped to the sink and her legs were awkwardly bent as if she had been put there. Damn that must have been a good party. Pity I don't remember anything.

I pulled my pants and bra out of the confetti and put them on. Then I took the red and black tutu I wore last night and pulled it up my skinny legs. I couldn't find the shirt, probably buried under all the cups. I put on one fishnet sock and stumbled for the door. It opened and a torrent of confetti and glitter flooded into the bedroom I had just tripped into. I took one last look back at Ashley, laying there in a half full bath with my lipstick all over him and walked away.

I cannot remember what I did next but what I do remember is passing out. Again! Kira woke me.

"How the fuck did you get there?" she asked, offering me a hand. I accepted and she dragged me out of the wardrobe.

"I don't know. I didn't even fall asleep here." I laughed, attempting to brush the glitter off myself.

**(A/N- Glitter is a bitch to get off skin. It took me 5 showers after I used it in photography and it was still ingrained in my scalp. Just thought you needed that input.)**

"So where did you fall asleep hmm?" she said raising a suspicious eyebrow. She was a wreck. Her hair dye had run and her hair stuck out at all different angles and she was wearing Andy's leather trousers and (Hopefully) her red bikini top.

"I don't know." I lied.

"Your lieing. I can tell. Who was it?"

"It was in the- who was it what?" I stopped realizing what she had said.

"Cherry honey your lipstick is all over the place, you're covered in hickeys and bite marks and you have a condom stuck in your hair. You got laid! Who was it!"

I pulled the condom out of my hair and threw it across the room screaming EW! at the top of my voice. Urg. I feel so violated and dirty. I looked down at my body. I had hickeys and bite marks everywhere from my hips up to my ears. I looked like I had been sexually abused by a vampire. Which, incase you were wondering, is not a good look.

"Can't remember." I lied yet again. There was some truth here though cause I seriously don't remember a thing.

"You're such a crap lier Cherry. I'm gonna find out anyway. C'mon help me find everyone." she said walking away and almost tripping over a dude passed out on the floor. I followed her out of the room and (Thankfully) away from the bathroom where Ashley was sleeping.

The first place we went was the landing. It was littered with empty alcohol bottles and lightly covered in glitter like every other thing in the house. Then we went to the other bedroom. A guy was laying on the bed in a star shape with each one of his limbs handcuffed to a corner of the bed. He had ductape over his lips and a blanket from his hips to his knees but was completely naked except for the words 'Fuck me' in black marker written on his chest. Again everything was covered thinly in glitter and people were passed out randomly over the floor. Something in the corner of the room caught Kiras eye.

"Oh look that's my hat!" she said almost skipping across the bedroom to retrieve a top hat from the head of a girl who was curled up on the dressing table. I gave her a funny look. "I despair of you y'know. I really do."

"What!" she exclaimed adjusting the hat on her head "Top hats are cool!"

"You keep telling yourself that."

In the kitchen we found Andy asleep with his feet in a sink and his head on the counter. "Wake up stupid!" I cheerily hit his face. He groaned and lifted his head off the side "Someone got lucky last night I see." he almost laughed as he swung his feet out of the sink "How did I get here?"

"Your best guess would be as good as mine on that, sorry." I smiled as he stretched out and looked over at Kira.

"Hey are those my pants? Cause these are yours!" he smiled at her. She laughed. "No they are my trousers. Speak English Andy okay? And yeah these are pretty uncomfy. Swap?"

Andy and Kira swapped trousers in the middle of the kitchen and then we sat down.

"Where do you reckon Ashley's got to then?" Andy said nonchalantly draping an arm over Kiras shoulders.

"No idea." I lied believably "Kira where did you wake up?"

She mumbled something that sounded like "Inardhvgi".

"Speak up."

"Innatree"

"What!"

"I woke up in a tree okay!"

Me and Andy exchanged priceless faces and broke down laughing.

"Ha ha very funny. Don't even ask how I got there okay? Just don't." She said bluntly crossing her arms.

It was at this point that Ashley decided to grace us with his presence. People had started waking up and were moving around the house like zombies and we realized this as a glitter covered, dripping wet Ashley staggered through the door. "You guys! I was looking for you and- whoa Cherry you look like a hot mess." he trailed off.

"Fuck you Purdy." I immediately said and then regretted my choice of words.

"You already did that remember? Anyway I found your shirt." he said sitting opposite me as Kira and Andy's jaws dropped.

"Did you-Oh no you didn't"

I blushed crimson as he threw my shirt at me. We seemed to have matching bites on our necks and I'm pretty sure he had made no effort to remove my lipstick from his face.

"I do! Yes you did. Was good too." he laughed, cockiness written all over his face. I slapped him hard. "Fuck what did I do to deserve that!" he squealed rubbing the sore looking well that my hand left behind.

"You took advantage of me when I was drunk!" I avoided shouting so instead almost growled.

"Err actually I was the more drunk one and I'm pretty sure it was your idea. I was having second thoughts too but..." he trailed off.

"But what!"

"You took your top off..." he looked at his feet ashamed. I did too.

Kira and Andy burst into peals of laughter and practically cried.

"Oh my god you two are awful!" Kira laughed "See Cherry that's another reason to not do those Fuck-up-your-mind pills. You just end up sleeping with strangers!"

"Oh very sympathetic Kira. Really helpful." I snarled at her. Andy slapped Ashley on the back. "Legend. She's well fit too." he whispered as if we couldn't hear "Where?"

Ashley looked at his feet sheepishly. "In a bath..." he mumbled. This brought Andy to another peal of laughter which made Ashley retort "Oh Shut Up! At least we didn't spend the whole of when we were at the tower of London fucking in a bathroom!"

At this point Kira looked very red and Andy shut up. "Please guys, it was a toilet wasn't it?" he breathed out and I stared at Kira.

"It was atorturechamber." the sentence merged together as it came out of Kiras mouth. Now it was mine and Ashley's turn to be shocked.

"You are joking right?" I asked "Right?"

She shook her head.

" Urgggggg man that's rough!"

We left the party scene now fully clothed and with no secrets. When we arrived at Kiras house however I felt physically sick. The whole house was full of tension you could cut with a knife and my stomach turned like a washing machine on spin cycle. I had a killer hangover and felt dirty and violated like a whore. The whole room seemed to scream my mum's words when she first found out I drunk. It sickened me. I couldn't take it.

In my room I rocked while sat on my bed, pill bottle in hand and considered the statement my mum made to me when I was 15.

_"You stupid stupid Girl! How could you do this after all this family has been through. One day this is all gonna catch up with you and when you're sitting there feeling like the stupid, dirty little slut you are I'm just gonna say that I Fuckin well told you so!"_

She was really in a bad mood that day. Eva had just gone into hospital and I had been so scared and worried I didn't know how to cope. So I had had Bob round and drunk. A lot. She came back to tell me Eva's diagnosis and took everything the wrong way and kicked Bob out.

I guess she told me so I thought as I swallowed pill 1. Serves you right for letting yourself become an alcoholic I though as I swallowed pill 2. Not to mention a promiscuous little slut I told myself as I swallowed the last pill. Slut slut slut slut. And you don't even remember which is the worst part. Still I guess it saves me the disappointment if it was really bad...

"Cherry! Hey I thought I'd find you here- What are you doing!" Ashley asked as I screwed the lid back on the bottle. "Drugs" I answered bluntly "But it's okay. Their legal."

"Oh and that makes all the difference." he snorted under his breath "Why?"

"Cause I'm a stupid little slut who doesn't deserve to remember." I breathed.

"Now that's untrue. I'm an irresponsible git who took advantage of a drunk girl." he said seating himself opposite me. I snorted unattractively. "Wouldn't have happened if I wasn't such a stupid drunk whore."

He cocked his head to the side. "I still should have stopped you it's just..."

"What?" I asked curious.

"You took your shirt off and put your hand down my pants okay! I'm only human and there are some things a guy just doesn't say no to."

I almost laughed at this. He saw my smile and held my chin. "See I'm off the hook now. You smiled. If it makes you feel any better about this whole thing we can pretend it never happened. Would you like that?"

I hummed. "Yeah okay. One question though. What was it like? Cause I don't actually remember a thing."

He chuckled. "For someone who holds her drink so well... It was- well- really good. I mean I have no comparison but... It was great"

I didn't know whether to be freaked out or silently pleased about his statement. So I asked the question on my mind. "We did use protection right?"

"Oh yeah. You were very insistent. Something about if you can't be good or something."

"Be good. And if you can't be good be careful." I whispered, recalling memories of all the times I was sent to parties with strict curfews and whispered warnings from my overprotective brother "Josh tells me that all the time."

****Far too early the next morning****

"Urg I hate planes. Don't you?" I groan at Ashley as we watch Andy and Kira exchange a final long goodbye kiss at the end of the gate.

"Not so much the planes, it's the jetlag that gets me. I only just slept it off coming here." he yawned as we stepped across the threshold between the plane and the gate.

"Diddums. You can hear the sympathy here can't you." I said sarcastically as I slid into a window seat.

"Harsh!"

"But fair."

The flight was monotonous. The only interesting part was when I paused The Misfits for long enough to hear Andy ask me a question.

"You look a lot happier recently. Got a guy back in jersey? Cause I know Purdy isn't putting that smile on your face."

I almost laughed. You can see the best friendship here.

"No. Just some really awesome friends y'know. Ones who really get me."

"What, depressive, nerdy and messed up with substance abuse problems? I thought you had loads of friends from Stillwater?" he asked

"Yeah but you know. For these guys they see through my problems. They're the first ones to not judge based on Eva and what happened to her. I think they're the only ones who really get me..." I trailed off as he Ahem-ed loudly "Yeah I know but it's the first time I've found people just as messed up as me. If I didn't have them I probably would have massively overdosed about a month ago or died or something. They stopped me. They helped me work it out. It's something about them just makes me feel like there are things worth living for."

"Well whatever they're doing tell em to keep it up. You look miserable when your depressed." he smiled at me as I drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N- Nope. Not dead. This is important though, I've got to mention a few things**

**Thing number one: If you are reviewing just to tell me I shouldn't have this story up, Don't. Also, why me? Way more people than me write stuff like this. Maybe if I change my penname they'll leave me alone...**

**Thing numero dos: This is a thank you, directed specifically at A.J Reese. Thank you honey, I'm glad you like it.**

**Thing nombre trios: If you're expecting frequent updates over the summer holidays (Next week till September time I think?) Forget it. I have a crazy hectic holidays but I promise I'll try. Pinkie swear and stuff**

**A final thing: While writing this chapter, I realised I still don't have a name for Cherry's mum. I wrote this chapter a while ago now, still no name. Any ideas, PM me.**

**On with the story. Reviews are love, Love makes the world go round, the faster the world goes round, the quicker I update! Logic'd**

**Chapter 11**

****Gerard****

"Okay her flight gets in, in like 5 minutes so we meet her here and majorly surprise her you all got it?" Frank said into the group huddle. We all nodded and made approving noises.

"What if we're in the wrong terminal? Or if her flight gets delayed?" Mikey asked

"Don't be such a worrier Mikes. She'll be here. Anyway you're the one who seconded this whole idea" I told him "Oy Ray! Take those out for one second, it was this terminal yeah?"

Ray took out his headphones and stopped playing air guitar to nod and then resume his virtual solo.

"Cherry!" Mikey shouted across the arrivals lounge to a tired looking, crimson haired girl in a black-on-white Misfits shirt and jeans. She was accompanied by two guys I'd never seen before but as soon as she heard Mikeys voice she turned and gasped. Running across the airport she ran full felt into Mikeys arms and they hugged.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe you guys came to get me!"

"Anything for our Cherrypie. Plus we were all bored. It was Frankie's idea." Ray said exchanging a hug with her. Frank blushed. She leant over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Aww that's sweet. Thanks Frank."

The two guys who accompanied her walked over. The first was about Rays height with tighter jeans than I've even seen Frank wear and a black Iron Maiden top hanging off his abnormally skinny frame. He had more eyeliner on than us all put together and it made his piercingly blue eyes pop out of his face, which was framed by incredibly messy almost shoulder length black hair. The second wore even tighter pants and was my height. He was pretty similar to the first one except instead of blue eyes he had deep brown, almost black and wore a plain black shirt. They were like Goth incarnate and pretty freaky. Worse than us.

"Hey guys. I'm Andy." said the blue eyed one "Good to see ya. Cherry talks bout you all a lot."

"Cool. She never mentioned you. Where are you from then?" I asked sceptical.

"Cincinnati. We met through... A mutual friend let's leave it at that." he said blushing. A girlfriend I guess. Maybe the girl they just visited.

"Oh yeah. Andy's going out with Kira!" the other one came over, budging Andy out the way. Cherry hadn't contributed to this conversation I noticed, she was busy talking to Mikey.

"Hey. I'm Gerard. Good to see you two. I think we've got to go now." I bit my lip in the awkwardness.

"Oh well we gotta get a coach out front anyway so-" the one that wasn't Andy was cut off by Cherry.

"Hey guys. Come on! Your moms waiting Gee!"

I avoided blushing while facing these new guys so instead walked over to Cherry.

****Cherry****

We walked out front as a group. Gee then Ray then me then Frank then Mikey. It was great.

"You know you guys didn't have to come meet me." I gushed at them

"We wanted to Cherry! It's what friends do, sorry for the clique." Ray told me from my left.

"Yeah. You complete our group. It wasn't the same at new years without you." Gee said. I blushed at all this. I truly love these guys.

"Hey Cherry! Wait up!" Ashley shouted at me.

"Hey erm... Coach has got to leave and- Here's my phone number. I'd like you to call me okay?" he said handing me a folded up slip of paper. He clutched my hand and kissed my cheek before running after Andy and the coach as if nothing ever happened.

"What was that about?" Gee asked when we were in his moms car "That guy I mean?"

I bit my lip. No. I think right now in Gerard's moms car is not a good time to tell them. So I lied.

"I have no idea. His name's Ashley."

For the most part they looked satisfied but unconvinced. Only Ray spoke out.

"What's that on your neck?" he whispered in my ear. I panicked and touched my neck, feeling the bite mark at the base.

"Look. I'll tell you all later but you're not going to like it." I whispered back. His face went sceptical. "Do I really want to know?"

"No. And I'd rather not tell you either considering you're all gonna be pissed off with me but..."

He nodded. You could almost see his mind processing what I could have done but then he gave up. "Want one? Its Iron Maiden." he offered me a headphone. I took it and smiled, thinking of our head banging sessions in biology. We sat and head banged together. Oh how I missed these guys.

We took my cases home to find my mum. She was busy and told me to go out for an hour or so. So I was given a lift around too drop off the others. When we arrived at the Ways house I was invited in. I politely declined saying I had to go see someone and left in the direction of Macys house. It was chilly out so I was glad of the grey and red woolly jumper Mrs way had given me that Christmas and I had put on as we left the airport.

The air whistled around the trees and bushes and picked up as I started up Macys driveway. Her dad answered the door and wordlessly nodded up the stairs. I walked up and took a turn into a small room where the quite sniffing seemed to be coming from.

"Macy what's up?" I asked sitting on the bed opposite her after shutting the door. She stopped sniffing and looked straight into my eyes, her piercing icy blues like lasers into my soul. "I've been stupid and weak and I screwed up." she sobbed "And you're gonna think so too."

I held her hand. "Nothing you could have ever done could make me think you were ever weak. I've screwed up pretty bad in my time to. Now c'mon what happened?"

She took in a deep breath and sat straight. "Well first I let Taylor take these pictures. Really fucking sleazy and disgusting but not totally indecent. Cause I thought that's what you do, y know to be popular." she said and then took in a sharp breath "Then he discovers that I'm friends with you guys and another thing and-" I stopped her there. "What other thing? If you don't mind saying I mean."

"I'm Bipolar okay! There! I don't want anyone's pity for it!" she sucked air and I held my feet. I whispered "Me too." and then regretted it. She looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Okay I'm not Bipolar but I'm depressive and I have substance abuse. Gee does too you know. None of us want pity."

There was a long silence.

"Why Cherry?" she asked as the tables turned and suddenly I was the crying wreck. I wiped my eyes. "Don't worry. You tell me yours. I'll tell you mine."

She carried on.

"He found out... You know and spread all these rumours about me being a dirty skank and to prove it- he got all the photos he took and- and-" her voice wavered "He put them up. Everywhere. Around every neighbourhood this side of town. Then he told me he never- he never loved me." she sucked air again and talked faster "That was the last straw. I took my drugs but I accidents took the wrong ones. The blue ones. The ones that make me fall. Then I woke up a wreck and called you. Then I called Gerard and Mikey and they took most of the pictures down. And Gerard's been upset ever since and its all my fault!"

I was quiet. In so many ways she reminded me of Eva it made me want to scream. I needed Eva. I need her.

"Err Cherry. What's yours?" she said putting a hand on my back. I held her hand tightly, maybe a little too tightly.

"She died. My sister. My twin. And with her I did too. I was never me. I was just the other twin, the wrong twin. They all said so. It's funny isn't it!' I began to almost laugh through my sobs "She never wanted to die and I didn't want to live! I should have had the cancer! She should have got the guy, the one who stood by me and then said he hated me and I was the wrong twin!"

She didn't look away from my slightly manic-ical face but instead hugged me. She then asked shakily "And the drugs?"

"Oh I overdose. On Xanax. Regularly. Over anything that makes me remember. And when that's not strong enough well..." I lifted up my shirt to show off the around 15 long white scars on my waist "I did that. On a high. From LSD and weed. Then I poured shampoo on it. Never again. Her letters, Eva's letters, made me promise. But the drugs..." I stopped and she finished "They carry on."

****Macy****

"They carry on."

I held her close. She never deserved that shit. After a long hug she started to giggle.

"I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you." she smiled at me

"Oh don't worry. Gerard already made me feel better and now... Do you ever feel that you aren't totally alone? Cause it's a fucking awesome feeling." I told her. Her face said no but she nodded.

"Sort of. Hey do you want one?" she asked offering me a cigarette and leaning out my window. I took it.

"What do I do?" I asked "I never smoked before"

She lit the end and showed me how to breath it in. It was strange at first but I enjoyed the feeling, if not the taste.

"Don't worry about being addicted. Everyone gets addicted to something. You gotta start worrying when you're smoking like frank."

I had to laugh at this. Frank smokes like he breathes and only really ever stops to eat. She smiled at this.

"So how was England? See any fit guys?" I asked and her face turned red. She practically radiated shame.

"Oh my god what did you do!" I asked. She said nothing and took out a camera, and showed me a photo. A group photo by a bridge with her and a girl and two other guys.

"See him." she pointed at the shorter gothic guy with the brown eyes "Ifuckedhim."

I guess my mouth must have fallen open just a little too far.

****Cherry****

Oh fuck now she thinks I'm a whore.

"Is he the one you knew before?" she said forcing her mouth closed. I shook my head and she hummed. "So are you two dating now or what?"

"No. It was new years and I was so pissed I can't remember a thing."

She almost laughed. "Well if it's any consolation, I slept with Taylor. Twice. And no one dies a virgin."

"Unless you're a nun." I corrected her

"Well yes-"

"Or celibate"

"I know but-"

"Or really ugly and a complete dick."

"Yeah but you aren't any of those are you?" she said loudly. I cocked my head to one side.

"You never know. I might one day receive a sudden urge to become a nun."

She couldn't stop herself. "Oh really! That's gonna happen. Out of everyone I know you are the only one I would put money on not becoming a nun."

I cocked my head back.

"True."

After about an hour of pointless bitching, gossiping and giggling with Macy, I got a call from my mom. She told me I had to get home now or else I would still be out in the dark. So me and Macy said our goodbye and I walked home.

I arrived home to the sound of Josh playing piano. Loudly. But beautifully. He so fucking talented its actually unfair. He goes to music college and all.

"Cherry darling I'm so sorry I was busy earlier! How was England!' my mum said wrapping her arms around me. She smelt of apple pie and safety.

"Mm. It was good. Can I have some pie now?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Honestly do you two think with your stomachs! Yes go on then! There's plates on the table."

I walked over to the table and took a big slice of apple pie and sat at the table looking into the lounge so I could watch Josh.

"How's Kira?"

"Fine." I mumbled through a mouthful of pie.

"Good. I met Donna a few days after you left. We went to her new years party. She's nice don't you think?" my mum said. I had to think a little before realizing that Mrs Ways first name was Donna.

"I'm not sure about her sons though. They're both a little strange. The older one could do with a hair wash and the younger one hardly spoke." she carried on.

"No mom. Gerard and Mikey are nice guys." I cut in. She sighed.

"I just wish you could fit into a more suitable crowd. When I was your age I was a model. I could pick any guy I wanted but... I chose your father" she said sitting down opposite me.

I snorted. "Nice choice."

"I know dear. But back then he was quite good looking. Anyway then I had your brother at 18 and my whole life just went tits up from there."

I shook my head. "Not entirely. You've got me haven't you? There must be plus in there."

She just laughed. "Sure is honey. Now go on, didn't you have a project to finish?"

I finished my last mouthful of pie and reluctantly stood up. Sliding my plate into the basin, I made a mental note to wash it later and started upstairs.

I didn't do my project and instead considered my mum's statement. When she was younger she was a model with a huge future ahead of her and was so focused on her career that she got pregnant. She was 18. Josh was born when she was 19 and her at the time boyfriend (My dad) felt guilty about knocking her up so he married her. They lived in London for the next 4 years then me and Eva were born. Six years later dad got a transfer to America and I guess the rest is history. Pity she still regrets it but I guess that's why she wants me in a 'More appropriate crowd'. So I don't make the same stupid mistakes as her.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N- I'm sorry for being such a rubbish updater, so to whatever readers i still have, thank you. I've also just seen my traffic Stats and they're making me very happy. But, If you're actually reading this could you please review? It would make my day.**

**Runaway Stars will be updated in due time.**

**Please all also check out The Technicolor Rebellion by DaGeekGodesses when you've finished this. Its amazing.**

**Chapter 12**

A ray of sunlight warmed my face as my eyes fluttered open. First day back at school today, I've got a lot of catching up to do. But I do anyway as I'm (fairly) new and a loser so I get told square root of fuck all.

I slid out of bed and walked still in zombie mode into my shower. The water ran smoothly over my skin and pulled me out of my lingering sleep. Then I towelled myself dry and brushed my messy hair into submission. The red dye was fading so now instead of bright red it's more auburn. Not to mention about 3cms of my roots have grown back so its blond at the top too. Attractive right? But I couldn't be arsed to worry about that right now and instead focused on putting my shirt on the right way round like I failed to do the first time.

Now fully and properly clothed I staggered downstairs and opened the fridge.

"Hey Fire scalp! You know your shirt is inside out?" Josh shouted across the room. I had to look down to realize he was winding me up and snarled. "Don't you have better things to be doing in the mornings that winding me up?" I said not bothering to look at home as I pulled a tub of yogurt out of the fridge.

"But it's so funny! And no not really. By the way we're all out of strawberry jam." he laughed at me as I stood on tiptoes looking into the cupboard. So instead of strawberry I took a jar of raspberry jam and poured a load into my yogurt. Then I went back upstairs, making a point of ignoring Josh as I had to pass him for a spoon.

Back upstairs with my pot of jammy yogurt, I organised my bag. I say bag, it's a satchel with the Green Day logo on. And I say organised, I threw all my books in there and hoped I hadn't missed any. Then I did my makeup in the hall mirror. My eyelashes were long and my eyes were lightly ringed with eyeliner and my lips were pinker than usual cause of the lip-gloss. Looking myself up and down, I looked okay in my tight dark blue jeans and red tank top with my leather jacket over the top. I dislike my figure because it's 'Athletic' which means any curves I have you can't see because I'm lanky. Puberty hit me like a train aged thirteen so for a year or so I was spotty and with puppy fat and disproportionate limbs. But I filled out and cleaned up, so now I have a good figure. Like those women that got to the gym in sports bras, but with better legs. I like my legs.

I ate another spoonful of yogurt and slung my bag across my shoulders. Guessing I was gonna be late I laced my skates, chucked my converses in my bag and shouted "Bye Josh! Have a good day!"

"Give em Hell for me kid! Love you Cherrypie!"

****Gerard****

"Oi Faggot! Got yourself a new boyfriend?" came a shout across the hallway accompanied by a water bottle. I sighed and didn't even bother trying to tell them I'm straight and instead just turned to Frank. "Why is it they think I'm gay?"

"I don't know dude. Maybe it's the jeans or maybe it's the eye makeup." Frank shrugged back at me "I get it too"

"Oi Way! Aren't you gonna introduce us to your new boyfriend?!" came another shout. God they don't fucking stop do they!?

"Frank is not my boyfriend." I growled

"Speak up Way. Can't hear you!" came the tallest jocks voice from behind me. He grabbed my shoulder and I turned away from Frank to try and punch. I heard a slap as he easily blocked my feeble excuse for a punch with his hand. "Now now Way. Violence isn't the answer. All I asked was the name of your boyfriend. Or are you ashamed of him?" He said twisting my wrist right around till I was in pain "Because if you are then you can't be a very good boyfriend can you!?"

At this point Frank stepped in to push him off me. "Listen! Me and Gerard aren't gay and we certainly aren't dating. Get that into your thick skull you idiot!"

The jock stepped back, his pride bruised. Then he pushed his chest out and stood over Frank ominously. "Do you wanna call me that again do you!?"

Me and Frank were running. It seemed like the best option at the time and we were now just a little bit fucked.

"Gee, Frank! The fuck!?" Cherry's voice stopped us. She was standing in front of us, completely gormless with a yogurt pot in her hand and a spoon in her mouth. "What it's my breakfast!?" she said noticing our confusion.

"Oi you pair of Faggots! It's not nice to bother pretty girls!" came the tallest jocks voice across the schoolyard. Cherry glared at him as he stalked over like he owned her and grabbed her wrists , making her drop her food and pushing her to the bike shed. She stumbled in her skates and he held her up by her hands against the wall.

"Well you look far too pretty to be bothered by a bunch of Emo faggots. How about I show you what a real guy can do for ya baby?" he moaned in her ear, his filthy hands lifting her so her feet couldn't touch ground. She lifted her knee and jabbed him hard in the balls. He dropped her to grab his crotch and she banged her head hard against the floor.

****Mikey****

I ran across the yard but stopped in shock as I saw Cherry's head slam on the floor. Then I kept running and knelt next to her. The jocks had beat it and Frank and Gee were also there.

"Owwwwww. Where am I Mikey?" she said, looking into my eyes and rubbing her skull.

"Look around Cherrypie." Frank beat me to words. She looked around and let out a little 'Oh'. She stood up shakily and the first bell rang but we ignored it. "You sure you're okay? That looked pretty painful." Gerard said, once again beating me to words.

"Yeah. I just hit the old bruise that's all. The one from being hit against the locker. Anyways I've got to take my skates off. Gee will you tell Miss I went to see the nurse or something?"

"Sure. C'mon we're all gonna be late now. Let's get on." Gerard smiled and I sighed. Why are they so close? It almost annoys me, why can't I be the one who is closest to her? But instead of thinking this over I walked off towards math. I hate math.

****Cherry****

In the girls bathroom I swapped shoes. My head caned but I forgot my painkillers this morning so there was nothing I could do. Brushing my hair back, I did my best to survey the damage. All I could see was the edge of the old bruise and an angry looking red welt. Yowch.

I staggered into art and Miss smiled at me. "Ah Cherry. Is your headache better now?"

I looked at Gee and he gave me a 'Just go with it' nod.

"Yes much."

"Good. We're doing portraits this lesson and I've put you all in pairs. You're with Lily at the back."

I walked to the back and smiled at the petite, dark haired girl in a long sleeved jumper that Miss had pointed too. Strange how I had never really noticed her before.

"Hey Cherry. Should I draw you first? You look pretty tired." she smiled at me. I nodded at her and sat infront of the canvas she had already set up for me. She adjusted my head position and began to draw, her pencil flew across the page. After about 10 minutes my head became so painful I couldn't hold it up anymore. I slumped against the desk with a pained moan and she looked worried.

"Hey are you okay? What's up?"

I mumbled and pulled back my hair and heard her 'Oh' in realization.

"Do you want some parcetamol? I have some in my bag I think."

"Yes please. Thank you." I whispered "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." she said as she clamped a water bottle in my left hand and 4 pills in my right.

"Mm. You're a lifesaver you know?" I mumbled between swigs of water. She giggled and carried on with her drawing.

"Wow that's really good!" I told her as she displayed her drawing of me. And it was awesome. I think she got me perfectly.

"Aw it's not really that good. Next lesson you draw me okay?" She said, putting all her stuff away. I nodded and dragged myself up into standing.

Gerard waited at the door. "Thanks for earlier, even if we did get you hurt"

"Don't worry about it."

He didn't. We walked in silence until I asked what was the problem.

"Oh nothing. Just this art school application bothering me."

I halted and looked straight into his clear hazel eyes. "Gerard Arthur Way. We are far too alike for me to believe that for one second it is 'Just' that. What's up?"

He sighed. "Come over after school. I missed you."

Oh god I hate it when the Way brothers are evasive. I raised my eyebrows. "Fine. Tell me then?"

"Sure."

"Good."

We hugged outside my English lit class.

****Mikey****

"Ahem."

Cherry and Gee broke apart and he rubbed his neck.

"So, see you tonight okay?"

"Sure." she smiled at him and waved goodbye. Then she walked into class as if nothing happened.

"What was that about huh?" I asked maybe a little to suspiciously as she pulled a battered book out her bag.

"What was what?" she looked confused.

"Gee said see you tonight. Are you two like-" she cut me off with a tiny giggle

"Mikey you're so paranoid! No me and Gerard are not dating or sleeping together. He just invited me round."

I breathed out, relief filling my mind.

"Also. I still haven't forgotten about that date." she flicked my nose "I want to see a film with you. Surprise me."

God she's so amazing. My heart started fluttering and my jeans suddenly became really uncomfy. To avoid just staring like an idiot, I quickly thought of something to ask her.

"So, what you reading?"

She looked out from behind the book cover and laid it on the desk.

"The Commitments. You can borrow it if you want, I've read it like a billion times. It's my favourite book."

I picked it up to read the back. It looked okay.

"Yeah. Can I?"

"Sure. Hey can I read that one then?" she pointed at the comic on my lap "Hmm. Hellboy is so underrated don't you think?"

Whoa. She reads comics too?

"Yeah. I think he's my favourite."

"Oh come on! X-men is way better!"

****Cherry****

After about 5 minutes Mikey was completely absorbed in my book. So I read his Hellboy comic. It was good but I still prefer X-men.

"That book is really weird. I don't even understand half the words or anything" Mikey told me at break. I smiled and sat closer to him.

"Don't worry. Me neither."

"Err guys! We are supposed to be looking for Frank yes?" Ray butted in.

****Frank****

"You know what I hate more than Fags Iero? You and your fucking Emo garbage!" came the jocks voice whose foot was on my stomach. He stamped hard and my whole body convulsed. The one by my head launched a punch at my face. There was a crack then I felt a flash of pain and a cold trickle of blood on my face. I almost screamed but a familiar female face came into view.

"Hello Frankie. You've gone downhill since we were dating haven't you?" came Jennifer's cold voice "Pity you still haven't grown." she let out a laugh as fake as her enormous tits and grabbed the shoulder of the jock with his foot on my stomach. "Come on Taylor. There's no point in it. He'll always be ugly so why make him more?'

They both laughed and then she leaned in and kissed him. He put one hand on her ass and the other up her top and she was all over him. That was the point that Macy walked around the corner.

"Oh look! It's the Bipolar slut! Come for your Emo friend have you?" snarled Jennifer. I forced my way out of the grip of the jocks to stand with her.

"Aww isn't it cute! The Emo Faggot likes slutty girls now does he? Why don't you just go have gay slutty fun!" Taylor, the tallest jock shouted "Come on babe, we're done here. After all, who would want her nasty Slut STDs!"

They left. Macy looked like a kid someone just told that Santa doesn't exist. At that point, Gerard raced around the corner swiftly followed by Cherry.

"Macy, Frank what happened!?" Gerard asked, a little out of breath. She fell into his arms and started to cry and at first he was a little shocked. But being the opportunist he was he just held her and patted her back.

"Frankie what happened?" Cherry said softly, dabbing at my bloody nose with a tissue. I took it off her and breathed a rattly breath.

"Taylor and his jocks were beating the shit outta me and then... Jennifer."

She looked at me like I was weird. "What, Jennifer Young? Isn't she that Barbie wannabe who got put back a year? What about her?"

I sniffed.

"She was my Ex. I really loved her and when we were dating I thought the feeling was mutual but... She cheated on me with the entire football team and then broke my heart."

Cherry had a realisation moment and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I'm so sorry Frankie."

"Its okay. Then she started groping with Taylor and I think they broke my nose."

She stopped hugging me and held my wrist. "C'mon. I'll take you to the nurses office. Make up an excuse for me Macy?"

****Cherry****

Macy nodded and I dragged Frank to the nurse, despite his protestations. When we got there Frank had his nose prodded and was told to sit with a tissue on it for a while. I waited with him.

"Cherry. I have a serious question. I've been thinking-"

"Dangerous."

"Shh. You know at Halloween, and at Macys party you kissed me back."

I looked down and fidgeted with my hair. I know what's coming.

"Do you, you know, like me?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "But not like that."

He looked at floor.

"What is it? Is it the height or you don't want to ruin our friendship or am I just not good looking? I want to know." he said getting a little over annoyed.

"Frank. It is not the height. Nor is it that I don't want to ruin our friendship. It isn't that you aren't good looking either cause you're cute. Its just-"

"Its Mikey isn't it?" he held my hand "I get it. Don't worry. He likes you too."

I shook my head. "Not for long he won't."

Frank wanted to ask but the term 'Saved by the bell' has never been so apt.

"Hey I gotta go. Gees giving me a lift home." I said, rubbing Franks hand once more before leaving the room.

"Took your time! Anyway hop in." Gee said from the window of his battered silver car. I hopped in the front seat and Mikey sat in the back. The drive was boring but when we arrived at Gerard's house it was forgotten. Gerard led me slowly down the staircase to his room in the basement.

"So seriously. What's up?"

He sat on the bed and fidgeted with something small and shiny.

"Macy. I think I love her."

"Yeah. Why is that a problem?"

"Cause she doesn't fucking love me back! She's still in love with that asshole Taylor! And why would she love a freak like me!?"

I bit my lip "You aren't a freak."

"Don't give me that Cherry. We're all freaks the whole fucking lot of us. You drug yourself up so high you can't even feel every fucking day and don't think I don't see it and I slit my fucking wrists. We aren't normal."

To prove his point he pulled his hooded over his shoulders and rolled up his sleeves. I almost gasped. The whole of his arms was a mess of scars and broken skin. Nearest his shoulder it was old and ridged from a long time ago and by his wrists it was red and still covered with blood. I reached out and touched the cuts above his elbow.

"We match." he said to me "How did you stop?"

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "I didn't. I promised. Just another promise I know I'm gonna break one day just like the rest of them."

He pulled on the bottom of my shirt and lifted it so my scars were on display too. He ran his cold finger across the longest one, his finger following the raised and puckered skin until it stopped.

"How about we end this. Together." I said to him. He shook his head.

"I can't. However hard I try. I'm too fucking weak. I need it."

I took the small silver razor blade that he had been fidgeting with out of his hand. With a shaking hand I ran the blade sharply across the biggest scar before he could stop me.

"Cherry don't!"

"No." I said as I did the same for the second scar "I won't stop. Every time you do this you do it to me. Are you gonna make me a promise?"

I saw the panic flash through his hazel eyes as I carried on cutting down my old scars until I ran out. "I guess I'll have to keep going then." I sighed and he grabbed my wrist.

"You are so stupid. I'm not worth it. You should just give me back the blade and let me slit my throat because I made you hurt yourself. But if you promise me then I'll promise you."

My hand wobbled. I think maybe I cut too deep. But I dropped the blade on the floor.

"Say goodbye to the cuts you make?" I said to him

"Say goodbye to the pills you take?" he asked me.

"To the end."

"To the end."

I stood in Gerard's shower. I say stood, I was sat on the floor under the nozzle washing off the blood. Gerard was right. We are freaks. But I'd rather be a freak than normal any day of the week.

****Gerard****

I knocked on the bathroom door.

"Hey Cherrypie? I got you a tee-shirt. The one you just had on is all bloody."

The door opened and she stood there wrapped in a towel. She took the shirt off me and nodded in thanks. Then I went back to my room and took all the razors out of their hiding places.

"How many do you have?" Cherry said as she sat down on my bed. I spilled them all out in front of her.

"This many. How many of those LSDs do you have."

She guiltily fished into her pocket and pulled out a brown paper bag.

"This many."

"How many times since that time at school did you take it?"

"Weekly if not every other day. But I only overdosed twice. Once at the start of the holidays and again at new year."

I took the bag out her hand. "Lets end it here. You really don't need it and nor do I."

"Okay."

The burning smell filled the whole garden for the next few days.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N- I just realised I've been really miserable in my AN's lately. Have you guys noticed that? Well I'm fixing it. Because it's been forever since I last updated, this chapter is massive. I'm trying to make all the chapters from now on bigger, so if my updates are a little further apart I apologise. **

**I really want a cover for this story. Any ideas or suggestions? I can't draw but I'm sure Merry will do it for me if I ask nicely. Her cartoons are wicked cool.**

**About my other story. I'm having a bit of writers block and I really need some constructive criticism. I know what I have to write, I just feel so un-inspired to do it :/. So if any of you are actually reading this I would love it if you could review Runaway Stars.**

**About some upcoming stories, Merry and I are writing a story based (loosely) on the video for Punk Rock 101 by Bowling For Soup and it will hopefully be posted soon. Its gonna be EPIC! We're also thinking about a Killjoy story idea, but I will say no more ;)**

**Another thing I'm working on a series of one-shots with the amazing ****Sunshine**** of ****DaGeekGodesses ****fame.****So If you are a huge Panic At The Disco fan, if you enjoy their music, or even if you have heard more than one Panic At The Disco song, you should totally read it when we're ready to put it up. She's also just started a story involving The Whole Bandom called Necklace Of Thorns and her Killjoy story is really good. She needs more credit for her awesome writing.**

**Also, if any of you like BVB, check out Daughter Of Rage and Love by Kira The Dead Ninja. I sort of co-write it, but I'll give Kiki the credit. Right at the moment it has a lot of other bands involved too, so give it a look anyway**

**Chapter 13**

****Cherry****

After the promises I made to Gee, the LSD stopped. I didn't seek out a dodgy backstreet to wait for a dealer I could buy it off nor did I want to. The first few days were hard, for both of us as I compensated by taking extra Xanax and lying to myself and Gerard wasn't allowed alone with and sharp objects. But I finally stopped compensating and me and Gee realized we had done it. We had pulled through. His scars had began to fade as had mine and with them had the lies we told ourselves. I told Ray what happened with Ashley and, after being shocked, we both kind of saw the funny side, and I decided to drink less.

"Hey Cherry. I was wondering, there's a cinema in town in the mall and tout promised me a date." Mikey said to me as I stood by his locker "Do you want to go see a film this Saturday?"

My heart did the funny flippy thing that it always does when he says things like that and I could feel my cheeks burning.

"Yes. Yes I'd love to. I'll get to yours at 1 is that okay?"

"Sure is. See you then." he said hugging me goodbye.

"Oh and Mikey!" I shouted across the schoolyard. He looked back. "Yeah?"

"Black or Purple?"

"Purple. Why?"

I smiled. "Don't worry."

****Mikey****

"You okay in there little bro? Anyone would think you'd died in the bath or something." came Gerard's annoying voice through the bathroom door.

"Fuck off Gee." I said, brushing my hair into a kind of vague tidiness. I brushed my teeth until the toothpaste started to fall out of my mouth and then I spat it all into the sink. I pulled a shirt on and breathed deep. "Don't worry Mikes. She's totally into you." I told my reflection.

"Do worry Mikey. Talking to yourself is weird."

"Shut up Gerard!"

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" I shouted to no one in particular and rushed to the door. When I opened I was wonderstruck. Cherry stood there in a black dress with a collar but no sleeves with a skinny purple belt round her waist and purple Doc Martin boots. But the thing that caught my eye the most was her hair. It was a deep royal purple and looked silky and beautiful framing her face. I think I was gawping because she said "Come on Mikey do I look okay or not? Cause I think I'm overdressed."

"You look beautiful." I said with complete honesty.

"You're just saying that. Come on are you ready?"

I shoved my feet in my shoes and grabbed my wallet off the side.

"Yes. And you do look really beautiful."

She blushed and took my hand as we stepped outside together.

We got the bus to the mall and as we walked through the door, something caught her eye.

"Oh look! A photo booth, Mikey can we go in?" she said grabbing my arm. I locked my fingers in hers and we sat down in the tiny booth. She pulled a quarter from her purse and slid it into the slot. I laughed as the first photo took. The second photo was her pushing my side telling me to be serious and the third was me pushing her back. The fourth was us hugging and the fifth was her bending over to see if it was even on. The photos printed outside the booth and she swung round the door to look at them.

"Aw look. Aren't they funny? And there's one for each of us!" she smiled before putting mine in my jeans pocket.

"Come on. Are we gonna go see this movie?" I asked her and she nodded.

"Hehe. Sorry I got distracted. I've never been in one of those before is all"

"Don't worry. Let's go now before we get even more distracted hmm?" I said as we walked toward the theatre.

"Hey do you want popcorn?" I asked her, tapping her shoulder to bring her out of her daydream.

"Oh err yes please!" she smiled her beautiful smile, the one that makes my knees go funny. I bought her popcorn, remembering that she doesn't like sweet popcorn and handed it to her.

"Mmm. Thank you Mikey." she smiled and held my hand, making me feel like I was invincible. "Shall we go then?"

"Yes." I smiled down at her and we walked into the cinema together. It was dark already and we found two seats near the back to sit in. She put my hand down and instead shuffled across in her seat so almost her whole arm leant against mine. The contact made me shiver and her warm skin was like pure heat, warming me from the inside out.

****Cherry****

When the film started to get creepy I held onto Mikeys hand and he held back. I rested my head on his shoulder, practically begging him to look at me so I could see his gorgeous hazel eyes and remind myself just how smitten I was. But he didn't turn so I just kept on holding his hand. As the film neared an end he draped his arm over my shoulders. I looked at him through the sides of my eyes and raised my eyebrows.

"What?" he said innocently "You have popcorn on your mouth."

His finger brushed my lips so lightly I wanted to scream and kiss him. But I didn't so instead settled for blushing a lot. I was so glad for the darkness.

We walked out of the cinema with bleary eyes holding hands. We didn't stop holding hands until he had to take his bus pass out of his pocket.

"Cherry?"

"Hmm?"

"How many boyfriends have you had? If you don't mind me asking I mean." Mikey said politely. I had to think hard about that one but "Only 1. And he was a jerk."

"Oh. Sorry I just thought that, well someone pretty like you would have had more." he said and my stomach went all funny. He thinks I'm pretty!

The bus pulled up about a minute walk from my house and it was well out of his way but he insisted on walking me home. As we stopped outside my front door he smiled at me.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked

"Yes. Definitely. Thank you Mikey." I said and then I stood on tiptoes and, with my hands on his shoulders, kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"See you tomorrow maybe?" I smiled at him but he was to awestruck to do anything but mumble "Tomorrow. Yeah."

"How was the date Fire scalp?" Josh asked as I walked into the lounge.

"I'm not fire scalp anymore. And how do you even know I had a date?" I said as I flopped onto the couch.

"Cause you only ever wear dresses on dates. Plus you took an extra 15 minutes in the bathroom this morning"

I had nothing to say to this so I instead kicked off my boots and growled.

"Beautiful. Why purple by the way?" he said sitting by the piano.

"Cause I wanted a change."

"I know that. But why purple specifically? Why not green or silver or whatever other ridiculous colours you have hanging around in the bathroom cupboard?"

I sighed at his observance.

"Cause I asked Macy and Mikey and Ray and they all said purple."

"Is Mikey the one you just had the date with?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Oh nothing. Mum doesn't like him you know."

"Right now I couldn't give a flying fuck to what mum likes."

"I'd be careful if I were you. You know, get her warmed up to him before you all come out and get engaged or some shit."

"We aren't even dating yet."

"Really?!"

"Nuh uh. He hasn't asked me yet."

"God he's a bit fucking slow isn't he?"

I giggled. "A little. But I'm working on it."

****Time skip****

****2nd of March****

****Gerard****

"Remind me why we're wearing orange ribbon again?" Ray moaned at Cherry as she finished tieing the ribbon in an impeccablely neat bow around my wrist.

"Yeah. Why are we doing this again?" Frank asked pulling at his. She sighed and shut her locker.

"Because. It's self harm awareness day today and to show that we understand and are supportive to people who have that kind of problem we are wearing orange ribbons on our wrists. I did it last year too. I do it every year" she explained for at least the third time.

"Why orange?" Macy said twirling the end of hers.

"I don't know okay! It's just what you do." Cherry sighed at us "You guys ask more questions that little kids!"

Frank put on a whiney voice "Cherry! Why is the sky blue?"

I copied him "Why is my hair black?"

She giggled. "Cause you dyed it and Frankie I don't know."

I tugged a handful of my hair. "Yeah. I need to do it again. My roots are growing through."

"Your roots look fine Gee babe. Quit worrying honey." Frank half giggled. This made us all laugh. Frank sounds weird when he tries to sound camp.

In art Cherry spent a lot of time speaking to the short dark haired girl. Lily I think her name was. I didn't really pay that much attention, I was too busy fixing my art college entry folder. I have a load of my comic drawings, a few portraits and a lot of drawings of Cherry's parade. It fascinates me to draw, it's so joyful but so morbid and creepy at the same time. I decided to do one last one.

It was a parade float with a band on top, they all had white faces and hair and dark eyes. They each wore a similar black marching band jacket and I realised the front man looked a lot like Freddie mercury. I changed him, made him into Freddie but with a pale face and black eyes. The guitarist was Kurt Cobain with sandy blond hair and a brilliant stance. The other guitarist was Ray with his fro going mental and the drummer was Cherry with white hair and a Victorian looking wedding dress like the one she wore on Halloween. The bass player was just left as a dead looking guy. Then I realized it needed something else. A band name maybe?

Slightly distracted by the prospect of a band name I carried on. At the rear of the band float I placed the marching band but mixed in were people. Dead looking all with sepia and monotone clothes and the occasional red. Then a flash of inspiration hit me.

"The Black Parade." I muttered "That's it!"

"What's it?" Cherry asked but I hid the paper from her view.

"I'll show you when I'm done. Now go on shoo!" I brushed her back towards Lily and she quite happily turned back again.

On the front of the drum I wrote 'The Black Parade' in swirly grey lettering with red highlights. Then, at the head of it all I drew a girl. Eva. Cherry's twin who she grieves over so much.

I don't even know what she looked like except from a few photographs but I managed. She was a blonde version of Cherry with a white hospital gown and open arms. She smiled a mysterious smile as if to say 'March with us'. Her eyes were darkened and as with the rest of the people in the picture it was clear that she was dead. I looked back at the finished drawing. Not to be proud or anything but it was really good. I tapped Cherry's shoulder and handed her the A3 sheet.

"Whaddya think?"

Her mouth fell open in amazement.

"Its brilliant. How did you know?"

I frowned a little. "Know what?"

"That it was Eva's parade. It was the last thing she talked about. She said death would have marching bands and parades and it would play every kind of music she wanted." she sniffed a little.

"I didn't. I just thought it would be a cool thing to draw. Do you see how all the people are dead?" I said pointing at the front man "That's Freddie Mercury and that's Kurt Cobain."

"So why am I there then? And ray?"

"Cause I wanted you to be. And you aren't you, you're the dead bride you were on Halloween."

She shook her head. "Nah I wasn't a bride. I was Tragedy. But like the incarnation of tragedy in a dead bride form. You know what I mean?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Not a clue. But yeah that sounds like a cool idea. Maybe I'll give you a gas mask too. It'll go with the wedding dress."

"Yeah. Then I can be War incarnate into a dead bride." she smiled

"That's not a bad idea. You can be War"

I continued sketching a gas mask over Cherry's face in the drawing. It was a little weird as her body was very animated but her face was blanked with a mask. It did add to the overall effect of the drawing and Boy oh boy was it effective.

****Frank****

I was bored to tears in math and all through English lit. Everyone kept asking "What's with the ribbon Faggot!?" and I just shrugged them off. Mostly cause I didn't know. But partly cause I didn't care.

The bell rang for break and I grabbed all my stuff and rushed out the room before anyone could chase me. Running round the corner I crashed into someone. A girl who previously I had never paid any attention to. I spilled all her books over the floor.

"Oh my god I'm sorry!" I panicked helping her pick them up.

"Oh don't worry. Frank is it? Our ribbons match." she smiled through her dark hair as I helped her up. I realized that she was also wearing and orange ribbon on her wrist, but instead of a graceful bow hers was in several knots.

"Yeah. I don't know why I've got it though. It was Cherry's idea." I smiled at her, walking by her side.

"Mm. I think it means you're supportive to others who have problems like self harm." she said pulling her sleeve up a little to reveal scarred flesh "I can relate"

I just stood in shock and thought why someone so perfect would destroy herself like that. Then I remembered her name and my voice.

"Lily. Come over here and meet my friends. They know what it's like too. Whaddya say?" I held out my hand. She took it with a smile.

"Well aren't you a gentleman. Yes come on then. Show me the way."

****Cherry****

I sat on the floor next to Mikey and chewed the end of my pen.

"Wassup?" he asked putting a hand on top of mine.

"Oh nothing. I just really hate math."

Frank walked over accompanied by Lily which was weird as I had never seen them even talk before.

"Oh hey Lily. What brings you over here then?" I asked dropping the pen from my mouth.

"Ribbons." she smiled lifting her sleeve and displaying an orange ribbon and a scarred arm. We all smiled at her, proudly displaying our ribbons.

"You're in good company here." said Frank "We're all proud of our scars."

"Hey guys. My parents are out all of today and tomorrow so do you all want to come over?" Ray asked and us three girls all nodded.

"What like a sleepover! Count us in!" Macy beat me to words. Gerard shook his head. "Oh Hell no. We're guys we don't do sleepovers."

"Yeah you do! You just call it 'hanging out' and play way more video games. Live a little!" I told them. They all looked at each other as if to say 'She's got a point there' and Ray spoke.

"So its settled then. We all go get our stuff and meet at my house after school okay?"

"Awesome." we all agreed as the bell went.

I skated home quickly. "Hey Mum! I'm going for a sleepover at Rays house tonight okay!?"

"That's fine sweetie."

I grabbed a holdall from the back of the cupboard and shoved some clothes into it. I also took my bottle of Xanax and old Polaroid camera before grabbing my makeup bag off the bathroom shelf and rushing back downstairs. I took 15 dollars off the side incase we wanted to get pizza or something and grabbed some skittles out the cupboard. Better take 2. Mikey has this obsession with putting them in colour order. Then I slipped my purple converses into the holdall before re-lacing my skates and getting the hell out of dodge.

"Hey Cherry. You're the first here. Gimme a hand with this would ya?" Ray said pulling a mattress down some stairs. I helped him and as we just finished the doorbell rang again. It was Frank and Lily and they were holding hands. She tried to let go as the door opened but he held her tighter and she blushed. I smiled at the both of them and we all dumped our bags in rays front room. The doorbell rang a second time and it was Gerard, Mikey and Macy. They all dumped stuff in the front room too and we all sat down.

****Mikey****

"So... Should we get pizza in or something?" Ray asked us all as we flopped on the mattresses he had dragged downstairs.

"Yeah! I'm starved!" Gee said. I shook my head. "Gee you just ate."

"I'm growing okay Mikey. I'm allowed to be hungry." he said. Macy detected a sibling fight here so quickly stepped in

"I'm hungry too. How about I phone for pizza?" Macy said "C'mon Gee show me where the phone is."

Gerard followed her out

"Soooo. I brought skittles!" Cherry grinned "I got a little one for Mikey to organize by colour too."

She handed me the little pack and I proceeded to line them up in a rainbow. Lily laughed from the other side of the room while still holding Frankie's hand. Ray put the IPod on shuffle and it started on 20th century boy by T-Rex. This started a musical debate in the room between Frank and Ray. Cherry just giggled and watched on in fascination as I lined up my skittles.

****Macy****

After about an hour of music related squabbling and eating of skittles, the doorbell rang. Ray dragged himself off the floor. "I'll get it."

Cherry nodded at him "Good man." and then continued to sip out of the vodka bottle that Frank had brought and was being passed around. I swear she's more like the guys than she is a girl sometimes.

"Hey give me that!" Gerard shouted at her from my left. He leant across the circle and took the bottle out of her hands, downing the last of its contense in one gulp.

"Woooh. That's pretty strong." he breathed out and I laughed.

"Better have saved some for me bitch!" Frank told him across the circle. Gerard just turned the bottle upside down and shrugged. "Nope. Sorry."

Before Frank could get annoyed, Ray entered the room.

"Pizzas here!"

****Cherry****

As we munched on the pizza, Frank decided to start a game.

"Its called 'I have never' and what you have to do is say 'I have never' for example 'Worn a skirt' and if you haven't either then you put your hand up. But if you have then you keep your hand down and that person who said I have never gets a point." He explained.

"Sounds fun." Macy said "You start."

Frank looked deep in thought for a second before announcing "I have never moved house."

I snarled. "Bastard."

Mikey and Gerard also didn't put up their hands so Frankie got 3 points.

"Gerard your turn."

"I have never... Seen a real girl naked." he said and we all looked at our feet. No one put up their hands so Gerard silently celebrated. "Yes! 6 points!"

"But you still haven't seen a naked girl"

Frank told him.

"Nor have you"

"Fair point"

"Okay. Macy your turn." Frank pointed at her as he finished his slice of pizza. She stopped pulling the olives off hers for a second to think.

"I have never... Erm... I have never done drugs."

Only Lily put up her hand and the rest of us look silently guilty.

Then Ray said his.

"I have never had sex." he announced and my cheeks burned about a million shades of red. All the guys sheepishly raised their hands and me, Macy and Lily looked at each other.

****Mikey****

As I raised my hand a little nervously, the girls cheeks burned red. Gerard went "Oooooh." really loudly and Cherry looked as if she was gonna combust with shame.

"So Macy. Who was the guy?" Frank asked to the point.

"Taylor. Twice." she mumbled under her breath "He's really insecure cause he has a tiny knob."

The whole room burst into laughter and I had to hold my sides to stop them splitting. God that's funny!

"So Cherry. How was it for you?"

She turned red. "I don't know. I was drunk."

Gerard laughed but the rest of us stayed blank. "How do you know you did it then?"

"He said we did. And waking up naked in a bath is a big giveaway." she said before curling up in shame. The rest of the guys laughed but I felt a little inadequate. She's way more experienced than you Mikey and not to mention so out of your league. Why did you ever think you had a chance?

Lily didn't want to talk about it so we stopped the game for a little bit and I ate my skittles in colour order. Then the vodka bottle was finished so Gee set it up in the middle of the circle.

"Okay. We all put our pyjamas on and get back here in 5 to play spin the bottle yes!?"

"Awesome." we all agreed and separated to our separate bags. Ray allocated us all rooms we could change in and I got the tiny guest room.

"Hey Mikey. Where's the bathroom?" Cherry asked putting an arm on my shoulder.

"Oh I'll show you." I said heading upstairs she followed and I opened the bathroom door.

"Thanks Mikey." she blushed walking through the door. She stood and looked at me for a second before I realized she wanted me to go so she could dress. I shut the door and left, my stomach filled with the butterflies she gives me.

****Cherry****

I looked out the window as I stripped off. It was dark out so maybe 9 or 10? I brushed my hair a little and stood in my underwear in front of Rays bathroom mirror.

"Don't worry Cherry. They don't need to know." I reassured myself. Yeah. You keep thinking that. I poured a glass of water and drank half before pulling my oversized batman shirt on over my bra and pants. It covered me but just. So to be safe I put my tiny yellow pyjama shorts on and felt like I was decent. Then I drank the other half glass of water with 2 Xanax cause I missed the one at lunch. Then I wiped off the remains of my lip-gloss and headed back downstairs.

"Whoa Cherry you might wanna put more clothes on before Mikey gets here!" Gerard told me. He was wearing dark blue pyjama bottoms and a black short sleeved tee. I laughed.

"You think that's bad. I sleep without the shorts." I grinned at him and took a skittle from the bag. He laughed.

"Damn he's gonna get a shock."

"Whose gonna get a- Whoa Cherry you look... Nice." Mikeys voice came from behind me and Gee just mouthed 'What did I tell you?'. The rest of them trailed downstairs and we sat back in the circle.

"Okay. Macy you spin first." Frank said. She grabbed the neck of the bottle and span. It landed between Ray and Gerard but Ray theatrically sneezed and blew it over to Gerard. He grinned like a Cheshire cat and lent over the circle. His hand slid behind her head into her blonde hair as their lips locked. I saw Gerard's tongue try to slip into her mouth before.

"Ahem. Guys!" Ray laughed before pulling Gees shoulders and making them sit back down. Gee licked his lips and grinned before

"Okay Frank. Your go."

Frank span. It landed on Mikey and I had to bite my lip to stop a giggle.

"Dudes do I have to!?" Mikey whined. We all nodded and Mikey and Frank kissed. Mikeys face was priceless and as soon as they stopped I burst out laughing. "Sorry guys. But that is just too funny!"

"Cherry your turn." Frank told me after I recovered from my giggling fit. I span the bottle and it landed on.

"Mikey! Go on, kiss her!" Gee shouted "You know you want too!"

He blushed scarlet and bit his lip. I don't know exactly what I thought but it was something along the lines of 'Oh Fuck it' so I grabbed his face and pressed his lips to mine. His lips were nice and his mouth tasted of skittles.

****Mikey****

I was shocked but it was amazing. She tasted like golden syrup and fruit gum and something else. I couldn't believe I was finally kissing her but it was over way too soon.

"Okay guys break it up!" came Macys voice from an edge of the circle. We broke up and I sat down, unsatisfied with just that kiss I wanted another.

"Hey I got an idea! I can do all our makeup!" Cherry grinned and all us guy shook our heads.

"Don't worry though. Its stage makeup so its manly. Like war paint. Anyway I was gonna do us all like the guys in your drawing Gee."

"War paint still isn't manly." Frank protested but Lily bent over to whisper in his ear. He growled.

"Fine!"

She sat us all down in a line and put white on our faces. Then she started with the other girls. Macy had blackened eyes and Lily's were filled with blood and they both had very red lips. Then Gerard and Ray both had huge bars of black across their eyes. Franks were slightly red at the corners with huge crosses over.

"Now tell me that isn't manly huh?" she said holding up a shaving mirror. He admired himself before "Cool! I could get used to that."

They all broke down into squabbles over who had the coolest makeup. They didn't even notice that she came over to me.

"Hey. This is gonna tickle." Cherry grinned at me before kneeling over my lap and closing my eyes. I felt her warm fingers touch the sides of my face and the soft flick of a paintbrush on my eyelids. She also put some on my neck in a dot and then she stopped. I tried to open my eyes but she forced them closed.

"Not done yet Mikey! Its a surprise!"

I felt pressure on my neck and what felt like a tiny bite. Then I realised, she had done herself as a vampire and was biting my neck! It took every ounce of my willpower not to moan and then I felt her lips move. She kissed gently up my neck and stopped at the edge of my mouth before shuffling off my lap and giggling.

"Damn Mikey. Anyone would think you were some kind of vampire man-whore."

I didn't say a word and just sat there, turned on and surprised. I think the bickering had died down because I heard Macys voice.

"Whoa Mikey. That looks awesome. How did you get the kisses so realistic Cherry?" She asked. Cherry wiped red lipstick from her mouth with a tissue and shrugged.

"Practice. Hey could you pass me that bag?" she asked Macy and I swear that she winked at me when Macy turned away. 'Not a word' she mouthed.

****Gerard****

We all admired our makeup in awe. For someone who is at best pretty shoddy at drawing she would be an amazing makeup artist. Mikeys was the best though by far. He looked like a just changed vampire with really realistic lipstick kisses up his neck and an awesome bite mark at the base of his neck. We all sat down and admired ourselves.

Frank had a very good way of putting it, he said we looked like horror film rejects. This made Cherry laugh. She opened a third pack of skittles and before we knew it we had a full blow food war on our hands.

"Missed!" Lily yelled across the room as a marshmallow hurled by Ray narrowly avoided her shoulder. I laughed and while running across the room I tripped. Grabbing hold of the nearest thing to me I realised it wasn't a thing at all, it was a person. We both fell over breathing heavy and laughing loudly and I turned to look into the piercing icy blues that were so close to my face.

"Sorry Macy. I thought you were like a chair or something." I said completely all over the place.

"Oh you really know how to complement a girl. Try again?" she laughed. I smiled at her and looked deep into her eyes. Man you could stare into them for ever

"You have the most amazing eyes." I told her "Now you tell me something."

She bit her lip.

"You are by far the nicest guy I have ever met and your eyes aren't too bad either" she blushed "And I think I want to dye my hair black, so we match."

I looked into her eyes and held her hands together. She avoided my gaze but I pulled our heads closer together.

"Ohh Gee! Getting some action?!" Franks voice came across the sitting room. Way to ruin the moment Frankie, way to go. Macy blushed and pulled away from me across the mattress laden room leaving me alone and unsatisfied with the things I didn't tell her. And it's all Franks stupid fault! To compensate I grabbed a massive bag of crisps and opened them, took a handful and threw it at him. It hit him directly in the head and I felt better. But still annoyed.

"Hey Lily? I dare you to eat that popcorn off the floor." I think was the exact statement that started off the most fun game of truth or dare of my life.

****Frank****

"Hey Lily? I dare you to eat that popcorn off the floor." I told her across the circle. She picked the popcorn off the floor and ate it up. "Too easy. I dare you to jump from that couch-" she pointed at the couch I was sat on "Over here in one jump."

I stood shakily to my feet and sprang. I most have made it because I heard a crash of bedding and a squeal.

"Hey Ray, truth or dare?" Cherry asked with a mouthful of marshmallow.

"Truth."

"What would you rather do, eat shit or suck another guys dick?" she giggled. He looked at her weirdly. "I'd suck the guys dick cause girls do it all the time. If you eat shit you can die."

Gee nodded in agreement but Mikey shivered in disgust.

"Hey Mikes. Truth or dare?" I asked him.

"Dare." he said without hesitation. I already had a good one planned I just waited a little. Cherry put another few skittles in her mouth and then I sprang it upon him.

"Eat those skittles out of Cherry's mouth. Sorry C."

He looked at me in shock before pulling Cherry over to him and sticking his tongue in her mouth. We all Ewwww!-ed as he took his mouth away from hers and munched on the sweets. "Nice. Tastes good."

She shuddered at the thought.

"Gee. Truth or dare?" Ray asked him

"Dare."

"7 minutes. In that room. With Macy."

He gestured to an empty room and they both went in. As soon as they left we all burst out laughing. We waited and after about 6 minutes we decided to open the door.

"Ew guys! Get a room!" Cherry yelled at them. Gee was sat in a chair with Macy straddled over his lap and his hands clamped to her waist. They were making out. She turned to us and Gerard moaned loudly. We all laughed at them and Gee looked more embarrassed than I had ever seen him before.

"We have one. Your just in it you Slut!" Macy hissed

"Bitch." Cherry hissed back

"Whore."

"Skank."

Us guys exchanged puzzled glances as Macy dismounted Gee and her and Cherry laughed loudly together. They all left the room and Gerard was left sat in the chair. I threw him a blanket as I left.

"Might wanna cover that up Gee!"

****Gerard****

I walked out of the room, red with embarrassment and hot with lust. Damn she's so good.

"Ray. Truth again or dare?" Lily asked

"Dare." he grinned. The girls headed to the kitchen with malicious grins on their faces but before we could panic they returned with cans of squirty cream.

"Let us-" Lily said

"Put this-" Macy held up a can

"In your hair." Cherry finished. He curled up and squealed like a girl.

"Hell no!"

"Or Ray. You could always forfeit cause I need a piss." Frank teased. Ray groaned and sat up. "Fine. But I hate you."

"We love you too Ray!" Cherry smiled before they all attacked his hair with the stuff. All over his head, inside his curls and everywhere. The fact that his face was painted white completed it thought.

"Waddya think?" Cherry asked before handing him a mirror. He whined loudly as he caught sight of himself. His hair was full of cream so it looked like he had just showered in the stuff.

"I'm gonna go wash this out." he said avoiding touching it and heading towards the stairs. Cherry snapped a photo with her Polaroid just before he turned away.

"_Yawn. _Well. I'm pretty tiered so... I'm going to sleep now k?" Cherry yawned.

"Sounds good. I'm pretty tiered too." Frank announced "C'mon Lily, sleep over here with me."

She blushed and dragged her sleeping bag over so she was snuggled with Frankie. I lay down and wriggled under my blanket and was about to nod off when I felt a pair of hands around my shoulders.

"Can I sleep over here Gee? I'm cold." Macys voice came into my ears. I rolled over and pulled my blanket over both of us.

"I can fix that." I smiled rubbing my nose against hers and kissing her ever so lightly. She sighed and put her head on my chest. This is what it feels like to be truly happy, I thought to myself before I fell into a beautiful sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: HELLO AGAIN! She's alive!**

**I'm so sorry it's been a while, but I have had a crazy week. Plus I've only just gotten into my new year group and figured out all the new homework and stuff but, I'm back now and that counts for something right?**

**Plus I did say updates would be further apart. So for everyone still reading this, enjoy this next chapter, don't kill me it sorts itself out at the end and if you listen to The Sharpest Lives at around the middle, try and spot all the song quotes! They're pretty shameless, but important**

**Also, I am collaborating with Sunshine from DaGeekGodesses on a series of oneshots about Panic At The Disco songs after a conversation about how you could probably write a novel using the titles of them. That will be out soon hopefully, PM me for any details. But you knew that, cause you read my ANs and Sunshine's stories.**

**Love you guys!**

**Chapter 14**

****Cherry****

I woke up early. The sunlight that spilled through the window flickered onto my eyelids as they opened and I surveyed the scene. Rays front room was scattered with sweets and sweet wrappers and unconscious bodies. Gerard was asleep with Macys head resting gently on his rising and falling chest, Frank and Lily were holding hands with their cheeks touching. Ray had curled up on a couch and still had some cream in his hair. That was a good dare. Mikey lay asleep near me with his glasses at an adorable angle on his face and his mouth slightly open. I crawled over to him, straightened his glasses and picked up my shorts. I don't sleep in shorts.

I gathered all my stuff from around the room and shoved it in my bag before standing up and stretching. Best get going, else I'll be late for work. I wrote a note on a scrap of paper that was laying on the floor and lifted my bag onto my shoulders. Carefully I manovered around the sleeping bodies to pick up all the Polaroid's I took last night. Bundling them into my bag I promised to look at them later. I pulled my batman shirt off and it was about that time Mikey woke up.

****Mikey****

I woke up and the first thing I saw was cherry taking her top off.

"Whoa C. What you up to?" I asked quietly and she immediately grabbed a blanket and covered herself.

"Getting dressed. For work. I have a job. Now could you like turn around?" She said sounding embarrassed. I turned around and heard clothes putting on noises.

"Your okay now." she whispered. I turned back to see her standing up in a white blouse with a green badge on and a black skirt.

"Mikey. I gotta ask something." she said as she shoved her pyjamas in her bag. I nodded "Ask away."

"Last night, when we kissed. It was just for the dare for you wasn't it?"

Oh god. She's asking me if I like her. Denial. She's way out of your league.

"Yes. Why would it be for anything else?" No "Why do you ask?" I denied in blind panic. She mumbled something and left out the front door leaving me to slump in a heap and regret that I just let the perfect girl walk off.

****Cherry****

All men are dicks. That's untrue.

All men that women in my family fall in love with are dicks. Now that's the truth. How could he be such a jerk! He knew I had feelings for him and he crushed them into dust. Why bother! As I walked to work from the bus stop I cried, cried in regret for wasted time and broken heart. He never felt a goddamn thing and I still feel everything. Why do I even try?

At work, Gloria asked what was up.

"A guy." I said. She smiled and said not to worry, he was almost defiantly not worth it. Almost defiantly. I walked home from work slowly. When I got in my mom was stood in the kitchen with a man.

"Hello sweetie. This is Daniel, he's a friend of mine from work. How was your sleepover?" she smiled at me from next to the man.

"Fine. Except Mikey." I moaned as I kicked off my uncomfy shoes. She frowned.

"Mikey. Is he one of the Way brothers? You know I really don't approve of those boys."

"You Know What! I Couldn't give a flying Fuck what you approve of because they aren't your friends!" I shouted before storming upstairs without turning back.

"Cherrypie? Can I come in?"

"Go away Josh. I'm not in the mood."

"Now is that anyway to speak to me when I spent all this effort opening your door." he said standing in the doorway having triumphantly prized my bolt open. I curled up further into my blanket and sniffed.

"Now come on. I haven't seen you this upset for a while. What's up?" he sat on my bed next to me and hugged me close. I curled up into his chest and cried for a while.

"Mikey."

"Oh." his face went grave "What did he do?"

"Broke my heart."

"I can tell that thanks Cherry. I'm not retarded. How?"

"I never meant anything to him. He's worse than Callum! I just got back to normal and then. Bam!" I said punching the mattress. Josh patted my back gently. "Normal?"

"Off the drugs."

"Oh."

We sat for a while until I stopped crying and just descended into sniffles.

"Cherry you know, there's more to live for than Mikey. He's not worth it if he makes you cry like this."

"Well I guess I'm just irrational. After all, what's a dead body to cry over!" I practically shouted. He shut up. He never talked about Eva.

"Cherry you can't think like that! There's not even a comparison between this Mikey guy and E." his voice fell at the end of the sentence

"There was for me."

He left the room and I took out some money from my bag. Then I put on a black jumper and ripped jeans and went out.

It was a dark sweaty gig in a dodgy looking backstreet bar. I was way underage but that's what fake IDs are for. I drank 5 shots of some random strong spirit until a guy came up to me.

"You wanna get something stronger than those shots doll face? I got some great stuff." he groaned in my face. His breath stank of whiskey and pot smoke. I slid a fistful of dollars across the counter and told him.

"Something strong in a pill."

He grunted and handed me a tiny plastic bag of indistinguishable white pills. I nodded at him.

"Thanks. Now fuck off."

I stumbled out into the alleyway and breathed in the heavenly un-claustrophobic air.

"Oi You! Pretty girl! What are you up to?!" came a malicious shout from the other end of the street "You wouldn't want to get hurt out here after dark now would you?"

I snarled at him. "Fuck off! Can't a girl do her drugs without being bothered now!"

"Not anymore sweetheart. What have you got?" he said walking up to me.

"Nothing for you."

"Feisty. Anyway maybe I won't give you any of this then." he held up a packet of cocaine. Any other time I would leave and go home, but I've already broken my promise to Eva and to Gee. Let's see how low we can sink shall we?

"You want some? Well cause I'm such a fucking sweetheart you can have some. Next time you want any ask for Theo yes. See ya later pretty." he threw a packet at me and I slumped against the wall. Oh Cherry, you just accepted candy from a stranger. Lets sink even lower and use it now yes?

The whole world was numb. Fuzzy and weird and every raindrop that fell on my exposed skin was like a warm bath. I don't recall tripping over or getting back at all up but my knees hurt by the time I was out of the further end of downtown so I must have. I found another dodgy bar and took another 5 shots. No one wanted to sell me drugs here. I didn't care. I've got plenty. My word wobbled violently as I tripped all the way back to my neighbourhood.

"Cherry! Cherry what are you doing!" I heard a familiar voice. Franks voice.

"Nothing. Hehe. Frank can I crash on your couch? It's okay I sleep in my clothes. My mom's pissed with me." I managed to string some words into a coherent sentence. He took my arm.

"Sure. Are you okay? You look a little drunk."

"Yeah. I'm drunk I suppose. I was dancing all night."

He raised his eyebrows. "Sure you were. Good band?"

"Yeah. I met a guy called Theo. He gave me candy." I laughed out loud, no longer in control of any aspect of my body.

"Away with the boys in the band huh? I don't believe you." he said as we came to his door. He unlocked it and I stepped in and sat on his couch.

"Crash on the one in my room okay?" he said helping me upstairs. As soon as we were up I grabbed his collar and pushed him to his bed.

"Mm. Love you Frankie." I said as a knelt over him, my sanity had completely abandoned me now.

"No you don't. You love Mikey and he loves you."

I spat at the mention of his name.

"No. He never loved me. I know you do though!" I said dragging my fingers over his shirt. He pushed me off.

"Cherry you are so obviously high. I can't take advantage of you, you know that! It's not something I would do."

He stood up.

"But Frankie! I love all the poison and I know you do too. And I know it's about Lily. Blow me a kiss before she goes to take my place."

He kissed my forehead. "Leave. Go home. Your mums not pissed at all is she?"

I shook my head and looked down like a naughty child.

"You could take all the pain away from me, but instead you laugh and ask me to leave."

"Yes. Now come on. Josh will be worried." he said leading me downstairs. He opened his door and I stepped out and it shut behind me. I stood there for a long while.

It was just after 2am when I climbed up the wall into my open bedroom window. Then I pulled the white pills out of my pocket and whispered.

"Give me a shot to remember." before taking three and passing out on my floor.

****Gerard****

Mikey was seriously upset. He moped for the whole of Sunday and called Cherry a few times but she wasn't in. Then I got a call from Frank.

"Hey"

"Hey dude. You seen Cherry at all today?"

"No. Mikey phoned her earlier but she wasn't in. Why?"

"Cause I don't know if he said anything to her or anything but she was wondering around in the street at about midnight last night and asked if she could come in. So I let her in and she was so high on something-"

I cut him off.

"She can't have been. She promised me."

"Well I'm telling you. Higher than a fucking kite. Anyway she said something about him never loving her and tried to get me to take advantage of her-"

"You didn't!" I snarled

"Relax dude. I'm a gentleman. I sent her home. Anyway she was really fucking high so I was just checking if anyone had seen her today."

"Oh. No I haven't."

"Okay. Bye dude. I'm gonna phone her house see if she got home."

"Cool. Tell me when you have and if she did Kay?"

"kay. See ya."

The phone bleeped and I went to speak to Mikey. I rapped at his door and he moaned "Go Away!"

"C'mon Mikes. What did you say to Cherry?"

He stopped crying for a second and I took that as a 'come in' so sat next to him.

"I-I-I I denied everything. I denied that I have feelings for her and now she hates me."

"I'm sure she doesn't Mikey."

"Sure she doesn't. That's why she broke the promise she made to you a month ago and went and got high."

My heart halted for a second. How does he know?

"How did you know?"

"About what, that she was high? I heard you talking to Frank on the phone."

"No no no" I backtracked "Our promise."

"You think I don't know you were cutting Gerard! I've known since you were 12! And as for the promise I heard her say something about ending it together and I wanted to hear that you went through with it!"

I almost started to cry that I had upset him like this all this time. But I didn't think now was the time.

"I'm sure she overreacted. She'll realise you do like her and stop. I bet it was only a one off." I held his slender frame close to me and he buried his face in my hair. I let him cry, knowing that always if I couldn't protect him from the world and all its crap, I could at least comfort him. He was my little brother and it was the least I could do.

****Mikey****

I hugged Gerard and cried into his hair. I screwed up so badly I just wanted to curl up and leave the world behind forever. It was all my fault which was the worst of it. I cried onto Gerard's shoulder until my tears turned into sniffs and my sniffs turned into panicky breaths and the breaths turned into sobs.

"C'mon Mikey. We'll see her tomorrow and you can say sorry and tell her that you really do love her. Cause you do you know." he patted my back and left the room. I curled into a little ball on my bed and slept, it was only 5o clock but I didn't care. If I slept I could see her quicker.

****Cherry****

I surfaced at about 2pm on Sunday with an awful hangover and feeling disgusting ill. I ran to the bathroom and was violently sick as my body purged itself of all the poison. My god I am never doing that again.

"Cherrypie? You in there?" I heard Joshes voice tentatively round the door. I retched again and was almost sick again but I coughed instead.

"Cherry what did you do!?"he said running in and wrapping an arm protectively around my shoulders. I retched again but this time I emptied my guts up on the bathroom floor.

"Eww. You ate something that disagreed with you." he said rubbing my back in small circles. I nodded.

"I snorted it actually." I whispered weakly. The look of shock on his face in any other circumstance would have been funny.

"You did not." he said plainly, half lifting me to my feet.

"Do I look like I'm in a fit state to be joking?" I said before holding onto my stomach as I felt another painful urge to puke. He saw the pain in my eyes and picked me up into his arms like a baby. He carried me to my room and gently lay me on my bed, resting my head on the pillow.

"I'm gonna be back okay? Just stay here." he told me. I had no problem with staying trust me.

"Cherry? I got you some things." he said, propping me up with pillows and placing a tray on my lap. I mumbled illegibly and flickered my eyes onto what the tray held. There was a glass of orange juice, some kiddies calpol packets, a bowlful of cereal and an empty bowl.

"Whassis?" I asked holding up the empty bowl.

"In case you have to puke again."

"Thanks I think."

"Don't worry. So Cherry, why did you do it?" he said as I ripped open my calpol and slurped. I put the empty packet on my lap and sighed.

"I don't know." I laughed loudly "Damn. How much lower do you reckon I can sink? After all its only a matter of time."

He put a hand over my mouth. "Cherry Evelyn Evans don't you dare give up on me now. You just hit the fucking floor. The only way you can go is up."

"Really? So you are disappointed." I looked down "Admit it, I'm stupid and worthless."

He held my face and made me look him straight in the eyes. "No. Because that would be lying. You're just a kid whose gone through more messed up shit in a year than most people get in their whole lives and none your fault. Life's not fair C! You think I don't know that by now! High school sucks and the real world isn't any better but you're lucky. You've got your friends. And this isn't the end do you wanna know why?"

"Why?" I sniffed feebly.

"Cause everything is gonna be okay in the end. And if it's not okay then it sure as hell isn't the end." he said before standing up "Eat your cereal."

I pulled up at school on my skates and saw the guys. They all looked at me with faces full of venom. I decided maybe right now is not the time to say what I did last night. I can't face lying to these guys, I care to much about them. Plus I haven't even admitted to myself that I have a problem yet, how would I tell them?

I sat in band feeling awkward. Macy was talking at me but I wasn't really paying attention.

"Hey Cherry." I heard a soft voice next to me. I turned to see who it was and faced a pair of legs ending with gold shiny vans that were crinkled like tinfoil and continuing in skinny black jeans with folds descending from his knees. Looking up at the boy, he had blonde hair in a side-fringe, a cool side fringe though, not one of those dumb swishy ones that preppy boys flick out of their eyes. This side fringe emerged from a grey and black chequered trilby covering two dark brown eyes. He was basically, the embodiment of the stereotypical jazz saxophonist.

"Oh err. Hi Joe. We haven't talked much have we?"

He laughed. "Not really. I'm just another band geek hey."

"Nah you're nice. And your sax is awesome, I mean its black and gold listed of gold and black." I smiled swinging it on his neck strap.

"Yeah. I started on trumpet but I wanted another instrument." he shrugged "It was a birthday present."

I bit my lip. "I take that back. You are a band geek."

"Don't worry I know. And proud. You ever been in any marching bands at your old school?"

"Nah. Only this year so I wouldn't have to do gym."

His and Macys eyes widened.

"So you've never been to band camp!?" Macy asked

"What's band camp?"

They both looked incredulous.

"Only the best school trip they ever run! You play music and march and-"Macy cut Joe off

"Get funny shaped tan lines, sing too loudly on the bus, eat crap food for a week."

I sighed. "Nope. Never. I might pass though. Hey, do you think I could hang out with you guys?"

Macy nodded. "Sure. Aren't you gonna be with Gee and Mikey and stuff though?"

"They won't mind." I lied.

****Gerard****

Cherry was avoiding us. She didn't come sit with us at lunch at all for a whole week. Then another. Then another. Each week that passed we tried to confront her but she walked away whenever she saw us coming. It was torturous for Mikey. He cried every night and no longer practiced his bass. It sat in his room not being played and collecting dust which was a pity really, he's really talented.

"Guys we've gotta do something about Cherry." Ray announced

"Why?! She fucking betrayed our trust and then ditched us! We don't owe her anything!" I snapped. I couldn't stand it anymore.

"No Gee. You owe her more than any of us and you know it. She's been crying all the time recently. I'm gonna go talk to her." Ray announced and stood up.

"Pointless man. She's been avoiding us all for weeks." Frank said before taking a last drag on his cigarette and stabbing it against the locker he sat under.

"I think her willpower to avoid us is failing. Trust me."

****Cherry****

It was hell. A whole month of avoiding them had turned into the most awful month of my life. Macy realized something was up when every time I passed Gerard he shot me a dirty look. It was living hell.

The first of April was the day I broke down. In the girls bathroom I sat on the sink and cried. I couldn't do this anymore.

****Ray****

I heard crying from inside the girls bathroom. Hesitating by the door for a little I heard a louder sob and burst in.

"Cherry what are you doing? Are you okay?"

She looked up at me.

"No Ray. I'm not Oh-fucking-kay! I screwed up so badly."

"Oh my god are you pregnant!" I panicked. She almost giggled.

"No. Who would want to knock me up?" she grimaced "I miss you all."

"We miss you too Cherrypie. Come back to us?" I said as she followed me out of the bathroom.

"Long time no see." Gerard snarled at her. She looked down at her hands.

"Frankie. If you wanted honesty that's all you had to say." She sighed "I screwed up so bad and I just can't lie to you guys. I've got problems. Majorly"

"That doesn't mean you just go desert us!" Gerard shouted at her "You think life's not hard for us?! It fucking is and I read you like a book!"

"No Gerard. You don't. I overreacted to something Mikey said and..."

"Broke our fucking promise! We promised 'To the end', well I guess this is the end then!"

She started to cry.

"Yes. I went out, got high and screwed up. It made me realize something. I don't need the drugs, I need you four. I need you to help me."

****Gerard****

Her helpless eyes stared into my face. We've tried to help her haven't we? But this would be different. This we would all do together. I held her hand.

"C'mon. Let's do this." I told her "C'mon guys. We're cleaning this shit up."

"What about class?" Mikey asked

"We can skip. For Cherry?"

"Okay."

At her house we burned all her drugs. All of them, even the anti-depressants. I burnt mine too. I didn't need them anymore not now because for the first time ever I looked in the mirror and liked what I saw.

"Thank you Gee. Thank you for believing in me. I thought you'd be mad." she whispered as we hugged goodbye.

"I could never get mad at you. You're my best friend." I held her face. She giggled.

"What about Frank? And Ray?"

"They're more like family. And you still are. You get me you know? I couldn't give that up for the sake of a petty screw up."

"Major Screw up." she corrected me.

"Whatever. Everyone screws up. You're just lucky you've got us."

"Yeah. I know I am. Thank you Gee." she breathed out "I'm sorry for being pathetic. You guys don't deserve my shit. I'm just a mess."

I pulled her closer. "Shh Shh shhhhh. We don't think you are."

Her wet tears soaked into my hair until she lifted her head.

"Promise you guys will all stick this out with me."

"To the end." I told her before opening her front door and leaving.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N- I'm Back! And I've just discovered my traffic stats which have been making me very happy. Thank you all.**

**Apologies for the big pause in updates, I just started Year 10 and the homework is getting me down. I have literally no free time anymore. Even if I do, its not free because I'm busy writing. I have waaaay to many writing projects on right now. Wanna list?**

**Punk Rock 101: A story written by me and Mytheoryofagoodlife13 which will be up on my account hopefully within the month**

**Random, untitled Glee fanfic- Also me and Meggy, this is happening soon...? I dunno. And yes, I like Glee. Don't hate.**

**Panic-At-The-Disco-SongFic-Oneshot-Thingys: Written by Sunshine and I, hopefully to be up soon too.**

**Runaway Stars: The Hitaus on this is hopefully going to be lifted sooner rater than later.**

**New Shiny Original Story!: This is between Kira the Dead Ninja and I and we are so excited! I don't want to give anything away but it involves a suicidal Danish girl, a lesbian hippy and a radio broadcast by an artistic punk kid.**

**Please go read storys by all the authors I've just mentioned. Read, Review, Recomend and i'll see you on the other side!**

**Chapter 15**

**(I feel that this is a significant number **** )**

****Cherry****

****April 9th (10 days later) ****

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Gerard, happy birthday to you!" all of us chanted as Macys mum carried a huge cake in front of him. He grinned and blew out the 18 candles before laughing loudly.

"Goddamn it how old am I?" he giggled

"Count the candles baby." Macy told him "Now, there's one more thing we have to do before the presents." she said letting his arm slip around her waist.

"What might that be then?" Gee asked her like he didn't know.

"Birthday Kiss." she smiled and kissed his mouth fully. Any other day we all would have been grossed out but today it was cute cause it was Gees birthday. They've officially been dating for a week tomorrow but Gerard is so in love you can tell it'll last.

"Guuuuuuyssss! Stop making out already I want some cake!" Frankie winged adorably. I giggled as they pulled apart and Gee took the blunt knife off the table. He sliced the cake into messy triangles and we all took one. I sunk my teeth into the slice and rolled my eyes back as the delicious chocolate and cream hit my tongue. Damn that's good cake.

"You got some cream on your nose there Cherrypie." Mikey smiled at me and wiped his thumb along my nose. I giggled but he just smiled and bit back in his cake. I think he does like me you know.

We hung out at Macys house and gave Gee our presents. I gave him a set of awesome watercolours in every colour imaginable. It was even better as yesterday he got the good news that he had got into the art college he wanted in New York. Then we all just hung out, doing nothing in particular.

"Hey guys? Next week me and Pencey Prep have got a gig. Would you all come?" Frank asked us, fidgeting with his fingerless skeleton gloves.

"Of course we will Frankie!" I told him "Won't we guys?"

"Oh yeah! It'll be Pansy's first gig with Pencey Prep won't it?" Gee asked

"Yeah. Looking forward to it." he grinned "Lily said she might come too" he said turning suddenly into a small child, so adorable it's almost sickening.

"Aww! Fwankies got a crush!" Ray said putting Frank in a headlock. They struggled against each other a little but Mikey split them up.

"You guys should make a band." Macy announced.

"What us?" Gee looked behind him

"Yeah. You 5 silly! You've got two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer and a singer! It would be awesome."

Gee shook his head. "Nah. Franks already in a band and I really can't sing."

I cut in. "Gee you're an awesome singer! You sing when you draw. You're really good!" I told him.

"Mm. Maybe." he mumbled "What would we call ourselves?"

"Chemical Romance." Mikey said loudly. We all looked at him questionably.

"Its from the book. The one that Cherry bought on the first day I met her." he shrugged.

"That's pretty good actually. If us guys ever do form a band that's what we'll call it." Ray said.

"Yeah but what would we play? We've got loads of different influences." I asked.

"It'd be like Iron Maiden had a lovechild with The Misfits that was raised by Bowie." Gee laughed "That's what we'd sound like!"

This discussion continued for almost an hour and for the most part, it was hysterical. Us lot in a band? Yeah right.

****Frank****

****School about a week and a half later****

"Hey, Frank! Quit daydreaming!" Cherry said loudly in my ear as her, Mikey and I walked out of school together. Gerard and Ray graduated a week ago but they still pick us up from school. We bundle into Gees old silver car which was always parked by the gate at a jaunty angle. He's a terrible parker.

"Hey do you guys wanna come round? Cause my mum's out at work till five." Cherry asked as we all crammed into the tiny vehicle.

"Yeah okay." Gee said from the front seat as he turned off toward Cherry's house.

"Hypothetically what if we didn't want to though?" I asked.

"C'mon Frank you know you want to. And it's not like you have a choice, cause I'm driving the car." Gee said from the front seat. I shrugged and laughed. We pulled up Cherry's driveway and she unlocked her front door clumsily. Everything she does is looks as if it were a total accident, I'm stunned to the reason why she's a drummer with coordination like that. As we walked in there was piano music playing and I guessed it was from a CD until it stopped. Cherry's brother Josh walked over.

"Hey guys. Didn't hear you come in. How the Bass treating you Mikey?" he said rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Oh the bass is good." Mikey said and Gee butted in.

"More than good! You're way awesome at bass."

"Not really." Mikes said shyly and Cherry appeared from the kitchen. I hadn't realised she had gone but she held a bag of M+Ms which she threw at Ray. He caught.

"Nice piano Josh. How'd college go?" she grinned going over to hug him. He hugged her back for a second before replying.

"Nothing much. Same old same old. School?"

"Nothing much."

Ray then asked the question that we all had on our minds.

"Was that you? On the piano?"

Josh nodded and we all looked stunned. He was amazing.

"Err guys?! Upstairs?" Cherry snapped us out of our shock and we nodded and followed her up.

****Cherry****

I led the guys upstairs. We all sat around my room and talked to Gee and Ray about college for a while. Then Gerard asked me something

"So Cherry. How are you really? Cause last time you were okay like this then you just... You know."

I sighed. I had thought this through myself.

"I'm okay. Better than okay. I'm really good. I figured its cause I'm off all of the pills now, not just the illegal ones. But I think it's you guys too. If it weren't for you four I would be dead by now. So yeah. I'm okay." I sighed peacefully. They all looked at me and Frank gave me a hug. "I'm proud of you." he whispered into my ear as I held him tight and rubbed his sides. Ray in his ultimate maturity flicked a sweet at us so we stopped hugging and I flicked it back.

"Not this again guys!" Gerard whined. Me and Ray tried to look innocent but failed.

"He started it!" I pointed at him

"Well I'm gonna finish it." Gee took the M+Ms off Ray and proceeded to eat them all, like the mature college student he is. We all ate the sweets in relative silence with minimal food fighting, listening to the rain on the outside window until a loud bleep interrupted the peaceful atmosphere.

"Oh I think that's mine." Frank fished into his back pocket and pulled out his phone "Band wants me. Sorry. I gotta go." he excused himself and left.

"Hey Cherry. When's your birthday?" Gee asked from sitting on my floor trying to draw Ray who kept moving.

"May 12th. I thought you knew?" I said trying to teach Mikey to twirl drumsticks. He failed.

"I was just thinking. Its kind of funny actually, cause we know all your darkest secrets but actually nothing normal." he grinned.

"Yeah. It's weird."

Awkward pause of the year award goes to- this moment right now. Thankfully Gerard's phone bleeped and he scowled into the screen.

"We've gotta go home Mikes. Mom says so. You too Ray, your mom called"

Mikey grumbled and the three of them stood up.

"See ya C." they said and Mikey gave me back my precious drumsticks. The left out the front and I felt happy. Happy with the four vampires I call my best friends.

****Mikey****

****4th of May****

"Listen Mikes. Here's what you're gonna do. Your going to pick up that phone and you're going to phone Cherry, then you're going to ask her on a date just like you did last time. Okay?" Gerard told me with his hands on my shoulders. I sighed and fell backwards onto the sofa, pulling him down with me. I threw my legs over his lap in a completely non-sexual way and groaned.

"What's the use? She's just gonna reject me." I moaned at him and he sighed.

"Mikey. She is totally in love with you and you can't waste this. It's gonna be your best chance to get a perfect girl, cause losers like us never get second chances."

"Thanks a lot." I growled "Why would she want me?"

He hit my head. "Fuck Gee what was that for!"

"For being an idiot that's what! Are you retarded! She's obsessed with you. Believe in yourself Mikey!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Says Mr Self-Esteem."

"Fuck off. I'm mentally still a self conscious fat kid. Are you gonna phone her or what!?"

I sighed and took the phone from him.

"I guess so."

****Cherry****

Me and Josh got in to the shitty little motel room we were staying in and I collapsed on the sofa.

"Man that was heavy. Did you place the flowers?" Josh breathed. I nodded, refusing to cry. He sat next to me and hooked an arm round my shoulder.

"C'mon Cherry. Don't break down on me again. Please?" he almost pleaded. I looked at a tissue from the pack he held at me and sniffed.

"I'm okay. It's just weird you know." I mumbled and he stood up.

"I'm gonna make some pot-noodles. Turn my phone on would you?" he said and strolled into the tiny hotel 'Kitchen' which was really just a cupboard and a microwave.

I turned on my phone and almost instantly I heard the ring tone. Resisting the urge to sing along for the whole song, I picked up. The display flashed 'GEE+ MIKEY HOME'

"Hello and welcome. You've reached the phone number of the Chicago hospital for the mentally unstable, how can I help?" I said jokingly to an explosion of laughter.

"Can you ever answer the phone seriously?" Mikey said and I could practically hear his eye-roll.

"Nope. That would be boring. And the Chicago hospital for the mentally unstable is one of my more serious ones!" I giggled down the phone. Again I could almost hear an eye-roll.

"Look I was wondering if you wanted to come see another film with me. Er I mean I- tomorrow?" he stumbled for words and my stomach dropped.

"Oh. I'm sorry Mikey I can't. I'm in Chicago, sorry." I said sadly.

"Why?"

"Its May 4th. Moms gone to Europe with her boyfriend from work and me and Josh went to a one year memorial service." I said quietly

"Oh. I'm really sorry C, I totally forgot. Maybe another day yeah?" he sounded insanely guilty.

"Yeah. Tell you what, I'll be back tomorrow and since mom isn't back for two weeks we can go out at some other time considering its the holidays. Don't sweat it."

"Yeah. Okay. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. I never said anything so how were you supposed to know?"

"Mm. I should have remembered. Can I take you out on your birthday?" he asked and I had to resist the urge to squee like a fangirl.

"Yeah I'd love too. It's a date. See you soon Mikey." I said trying to hide my excitement

"Cool. Miss you"

"Miss you too. Bye."

"Bye."

"Pot noodles?" Josh asked. I nodded and took the pot from his hands. Using a fork I clumsily shovelled the warm snack into my mouth.

"You are aware, I know boys who are more ladylike than you?" he laughed at me and I stuck out my tongue.

"Give a fuck?"

"Touché."

We carried on eating in silence. Then Josh cut in the silence awkwardly

"Erm, Cherry. What's your view on gay people?"

Stunned at the complete randomness of his question, I said why.

"Just answer the question."

"Well, some people are gay I guess. Nothing wrong with it, it's just that the straight religious types can't see that love is love." I blurted.

"Cherry. I think I'm in love with a boy." he said and his eyes welled up. I fell silent before shifting next to him on the sofa and running my fingers through his soft sandy coloured hair.

"Josh... Why didn't you tell me?" I said quietly, hugging his neck. He sniffed and looked more like 2 years old instead of almost 21.

"Do you remember when you started getting bullied? Do you remember what dad said?" he asked. Of course I remembered; it was possibly the most lasting advice anyone ever gave me.

"He said to never question yourself, and that's what I did. I've never questioned what I wanted in my life and its gotten me further than I ever would have dreamed. But I started wanting different things recently and at first, I felt like it was wrong. I tried to stop it because I thought I'd be questioning myself but I'm not. I'm realising who I am and, I like guys. Or at least this one."

He took a breath and held my hand.

"Who else have you told?" I smiled at him.

"You're the first. I wanted to tell you a while ago but you seemed upset, I decided not to burden you."

As he finished that I put a finger on his lips.

"So you let me burden you? Don't do that. You put up with all of my problems so don't think for a second that I can't listen to yours."

He smiled at me, flicking a strand of my hair away from my eyes.

"Thanks. So, will you meet him?"

"Of course!" I said "I want to meet this mystery man. Is he hot?"

Josh blushed. "Yes. Or at least I think so. His name is Matt but all his friends call him Matty and he's a solo violinist but sometimes he's so shy and he has the most adorable smile and when he plays violin he likes to perch on the edge of the piano which is actually really kind of hot and..."

So I listened. It was nice, listening to Josh for once. I could do it for hours, Josh is my rock. The one constant that will always stand in the hot mess I like to call my life.

****Mikey****

It was dark and the sky was threatening to rain, overshadowed with dark clouds and greyness. I stared out the window to avoiding being dragged into the video game Gerard, Frank and Ray were shouting at. The phone buzzed so Gerard paused the game in mid zombie decapitation and picked up.

"Hello this is the Way household. Yes. No. Hang on who are you? Okay. What!? Okay. Yes they're here. Okay gimme a sec." he said and took the receiver away from his face "Some hyper British chick called Kira wants to talk to us all on speaker. Apparently she's a friend of Cherry's."

We gathered in a circle round the rug and he laid the phone in the centre of it.

"Hey!" came a hyper female British accent from the phone "I'm Kira. You guys must be the four that she always talks about. Gerard, Mikey, Frank and Ray yeah?"

"Err yeah. How did you get our house number?" Gee said.

"I pestered it off Josh. You know when her birthday is yeah?"

"Yes. I'm taking her on a date." I added in deciding to speak.

"You might wanna hold the phone on that date. We're all coming over!" she squealed "Tyson and Nick from Stillwater get to Jersey tomorrow, Bob and I are coming the day after and then the day after that Ashley and Andy arrive!"

We all fell silent.

"Wait- What!?" Frank said

"I invited all her friends to hers while her mums out in Europe with her new boyfriend. And because you four are her best friends I wanted you to know. But I warn you, if you ever hurt her I will cut off your balls with a blunt knife. Okay? Byyeeeeee!"

****Cherry****

I collapsed onto the sofa, home at last. Pulling a stick of chewing gum out of the crushed box in my back pocket, I pondered. This would be my first birthday without E, but at the service I had made up my mind. There would be good things and life after E, just as there had been these past months.

"Cherry! Get the door!" Josh shouted down the stairs. I mumbled my reply (idonwantnadowityerself) into the green patterned sofa cushion before rolling ungracefully onto the floor. Ouch. That was one of my less bright ideas. But the bell kept ringing impatiently so I ran to open the door and the sight that met me was not what I expected.

A tall brunette boy with loose curls in his hair stood in front of me, over his back was a guitar case containing his bass and he was sat on a black wheelie case, swinging his legs. He was skinnier than I remembered, but then he had grown about 3 inches. The other boy was darker haired with a flicky fringe and a guitar case. He had a smaller wheelie case but he wasn't sat on it, he had always been the more sensible one. I stood in shock for a few seconds before speaking.

"Tyson! Nick! Oh My God Why Are You Here?!" I half squealed. I pulled them both into a huge hug, jumping up and down like a hyper two year old.

"It's your birthday Cherry!" Tyson said

"Yeah. We wouldn't miss it for the world." Nick finished. I raised an eyebrow in shock.

"How did you get here?"

"We got a bus to Kearney. Then we walked here." Tyson explained. My jaw dropped. They walked all the way from Kearney! They could have been mugged!

"How are you even alive! You walked all the way from Kearney! You could have been mugged!" I panicked. How dumb could they be? Really?!

"Well we weren't. Calm down C we were careful." Nick replied. I bit my lip at the annoying fact that he was right. They then invited themselves in and Tyson rugby tackled my sofa.

"So why are you really here?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"To see you. Why don't you believe me?" Tyson twanged.

"Nuh Uh. You guys must have at-least one kind of alteria motive. I know you too well!" I told him, sitting on his knees.

"Kira called us about a week ago. Apparently she called a few others too. Bob, Andy, Ashley, Frank, Ray, Gerard and Mikey, whoever they all are." Nick said and I couldn't have been more pissed off. OHMYGOD KIRA WHY!?

"One second." I said, hastily exiting the room.

Legging it over to the phone I dialled Kiras home number.

"KIRA MCCULLEN! YOU'D BETTER HAVE A DEATH WISH!" I screamed, hauling myself onto my kitchen surface.

"Moi? Mais pourqoui?" she said, feigning innocence. I sighed.

"Don't you think I've had a traumatic enough day already?!" I sighed exhaustedly.

"No. Please enlighten me to how I have made an impact on the trauma you have suffered today." she said, half sarcastic but I carried on.

"Okay. So firstly I go to a stupidly religious memorial service for E, who was never religious, full of people who she never liked and family who she never met. Then a bereavement councillor tries to instead of helping me, convert me to Christianity so one day I can see E again. After all 'Good girls go to heaven'." I air-quoted "Then, while Josh and I are eating in a shitty motel, he decides it would be a good time to tell me he loves a guy." I stopped for a breather and she interrupted.

"Please don't tell me you thought your brother was straight." she said flatly with a slight alarm.

"Yes I did actually! He's my brother and I don't care but; you think you know someone don't you?"

"Perlease. He went to a succession of all boys schools, he plays classical piano even though he's only 20 and his tight jeans... Just really. Whaddya want, a big sign saying 'Likes Men!' on his forehead?!"

"Bi."

"What?"

"He's bi."

"Whatever."

"Oh, and to top it off, Tyson and Nick just arrived with no prior notice and told me that more people are arriving and it's your fault!" I half shouted.

"You love me really. Now go entertain your guests." she said before hanging up. If I didn't love her so much, I would hate the cocky bitch.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N- Hi again! Did you all miss me?**

**No?**

**Whatever, I know you did really. Don't lie. :P**

**Anyway, here I am with Chapter 16. I know it's a bit late, but I hope you're all going to like it. Also, I want to thank Acid Harlequin for reviewing, much love to you, you awesome person. **

**I hope you've all read mine and Mytheoryofagoodlife13's new story, Punk Rock 101, cause it's awesome and we're hoping for more readers. So, Pretty please?**

**Another thing is that an original story I've been helping Kira write is up on Fiction Press. It's called FreakShow and we would appreciate any comments. I talked about it in the last chapter.**

**Also, if anyone here has Tumblr and wants to know my Url, DM me ok? I'm new to Tumblr and feel like a bit of an idiot. But whatever. Onwards with the chapter.**

**Chapter 16**

"Which room is your guest room?" Nick said, spinning around on the landing. I sighed and roughly manhandled his shoulders to face the tiny box of a room that could just be called a guest room.

"There. You two can be in there." I said. Tyson shook his head.

"Kira got everyone to fight over rooms. Nick and Bob got your spare room and Kira and Andy got your sofa." he explained.

"You missed you." I said warily.

"I'm sharing your room."

Rolling my eyes I walked into my bedroom. He looked around for a second, taking in the black carpet, the red walls scattered with posters, the drum kit that looks a mess from my mistreatment and the pile of roller-skates next to my practically empty wardrobe.

"Love what you've done with the place." he whispered, crashing down on my bed. I gave him a pointed glare that said Get Off but he was completely oblivious. He took his time to observe the Freddie Mercury poster above his head, the Misfits logo painted onto the red wall opposite him and the drum kit, in disarray as with all of my things.

"You actually gonna sleep tonight or what?" he said, stripping to his boxers and lying in my bed.

"You are not sleeping in my bed." I scowled at him.

"Try me." he raised an eyebrow. I growled and put on my nerdy, oversized drum tee shirt before laying next to him and poking his nose.

"You've really picked up the Jersey accent, you know that?" he said. I snorted.

"Coming from Mr Oklahoma over here, I think that's hilarious."

"Oh fuck off."

"No."

I bared my teeth at him before snuggling under my cover next to his abnormally skinny body and falling asleep.

****Tyson****

The next morning, I left Cherry sleeping. She's funny when she sleeps. Curls up so tightly you think she's going to pop her hip joints, how close her knees are to her shoulders. Then, after maybe ten minutes of sleeping, she stretches out. Taking up as little bed as possible, stretched out long and innocent, looped like ribbon around the blanket or the other person sleeping with her. So I gently unwound her limbs from myself and walked downstairs. Bleary eyed and beheaded, I gazed up at the clock. 10am. I guess now isn't too early for coffee.

As that thought crossed my mind, Cherry's doorbell rang. Rushing to answer I may possibly have tripped on some shoes, but I got there in the end.

"Erm hi."

The two strangers on the doorstep occupied by Nick and I last night gave me a look. The taller of the pair was browny-blonde and skinny- built skinny, you could kind of imagine muscles stretched thin over his sticklike bones- with almost perfectly round glasses, rimmed in silver and brown, falling down the bridge of his nose. He wore a black Anthrax shirt and tight light blue jeans, standing like he was uncomfortable with his situation; like he just saw something he shouldn't have. The shorter I guessed was older. His hair was dyed black, lank and greasy falling in separate locks around his corpse pallor face. Thumbs in jean pockets, leaning back and forth on the balls of his feet he was only wearing black. Black trainers, black jeans and black 1/2 sleeved tee. On his arms were tiny little scars, scars of self mutilation, almost gone in just a little more time. I didn't judge.

"Hi dude. Are you Tyson?" said the pale one.

"Yeah."

"Cool. Erm- We're here to see Cherry."

"Okay." I said, taking a second to realise I had to let them in.

"I'm gonna put some clothes on 'k? Then I'll be right down." I said. They both nodded.

Upstairs I poked Cherry's shoulder after dragging jeans and a top on.

"Cherry there are some strange looking dudes in your house."

"Mmm?"

"Cherry I just let in a guy with glasses and a dude wearing black. They want to see you. I've not just got us all stabbed have I?"

"Gerard and Mike won't hurt you. Tell em I'm waking up okay?"

Great.

I staggered downstairs awkwardly. The two boys I had just let in were lounging on the couch, drinking coffee.

"Hey, you know how her machine works?" I said almost accusingly.

"Oh yeah. I'll show you." said the one dressed in black. The tall skinny glasses one just sipped his coffee loudly and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

****Cherry****

Tyson. Oh how I missed having his Okie twang and clumsy mannerisms in my life. Nick. Well, what can I say? The person whose smile could light me up like nothing else ever, confident for everything and the one who got all my jokes like I got his. How long has it been? Too long. Since before Eva, that's for sure. My mind wondered back to the day I met them both.

_Cherry smiles at the unpacked room. For a six year old, she's quite organised, which is more than can be said for her sister who is already drawing on a huge sheet of A0 paper bought from the craft store. The paper is covered with her favourite subject to draw, The Adventures Of The Evans Princesses; a disorganized comic strip of sorts containing dragons, castles, Eva in a baby blue dress and Cherry dressed as a knight all in red. "Cause you protect me from the monsters." Eva said. She was a precocious kid that one._

_"Eva I'm bored. Come outside with me." Cherry whines, back when she still had an English accent._

_"No. Drawin'." Eva says. Cherry sniffs and crosses her arms, stomping downstairs to be faced with her parents holding coffee mugs and talking animatedly with a couple a few years older than them. The other couple have a small boy with very straight dark brown hair hanging off his mothers arm. A ten year old Josh is curled up in the corner, sleeping gently with his sand coloured hair blowing with every breath._

_"Cherry, this is Mr and Mrs Wheeler, our new neighbours. They have a son your age. Why don't you introduce yourself?" Cherry's dad explained, his arm wrapped around his wife whom he was still very much in love with. Cherry looked over at the boy who was about an inch taller than her. An inch is quite a bit when you don't have many to spare._

_"Hello. I'm Cherry, what's your name?" She said, offering a hand to shake. The little boy laughed "Your voice sounds funny!". Cherry stuck out her bottom lip, her feelings a little hurt. "No it doesn't! Yours is all weird!"_

_The boy could tell she was upset, so shook her hand. "My names Nick. Do you want to meet my best friend?" he asked and Cherry nodded. "Momma, can I go and see Tyson?" Nick asked, still holding Cherry's hand._

_"Of course you can baby. Let me walk you there." Nicks mum said, taking his hand "Is Cherry coming too?"_

_"Yes. She's my new friend." he said as they both slipped on shoes and crossed the road. Mrs Wheeler knocked on the door which was instantly answered by a tall woman with defined features, wavy hair, a motherly body and an easy smile. Behind her, a tall boy with curly hair bounded up to Nick and hugged him before looking suspiciously at the girl holding his hand tightly. "Who are you?" he asked defensively. Cherry sniffled. "My names Cherry." she said. The other boy grinned. "I'm Tyson and I like your jumper. Mom can I get a jumper like Cherry's?" Tyson pulled at his mums leggings, interrupting her conversation with Nicks mom. Cherry looked down at her jumper. It had a pattern of roller-skates on, hung up by their laces._

_"I don't know Tyson." she said "Go play in your room." so he did. They all went up to Tyson's room where, after a game of Cowboys and Indians using sticks as bows and arrows and plastic guns, Tyson announced while lying in a pile of bodies_

_"I've got one of those."_

_"One of what?" Cherry said curiously, pushing Nick off her._

_"Those!" he touched the printed roller-skate on Cherry's chest "Two actually. I'll swap them for your jumper?" he offered. Cherry nodded. Those looked cool, like the high shoes her mum sometimes wore and she had three jumpers at home. Tyson smiled and pulled the unused roller-skates from a toy box. Cherry put them on her feet and, like the jumper on Tyson, they fitted perfectly._

_"Lets play Three musketeers!" Nick shouted "We've never had three before."_

_"Me neither." Cherry smiles._

That was a good game. I swang round the banister as the last memories dissipated. Nick was sat on the floor, sipping hot chocolate while Tyson chatted with Gerard in the kitchen over mugs of coffee. Mike just sat in his usual spot on the window seat holding his empty mug and fidgeting with his glasses.

"Woke up?" I asked Nick. He grinned.

"Yeah. Nice place you've got here." he said, standing up and hugging me. I flicked the long hair at the back of his neck.

"You grew it again." I murmured into his shoulder.

"Yeah. It's here to stay. My girlfriend likes it too." He said, putting me down.

"Ohhhhh. Who's the lucky girl then!?" I said, ever the curious best friend. He held up a finger and fished out his wallet. Pulling out a photograph, he unfolded it and showed me. It was a line of photo booth pictures, like Mike and I took on our first date, that I keep in my bag. The girl next to Nick is short with dark blue eyes, dark blonde hair and skin the colour of meringue. Her face is an almost perfect heart shape and her nose turns up slightly at the end and has a spray of freckles across it and her cheeks. In the middle photo they're both grinning widely, displaying her light blue train track braces that compliment her eyes.

"Her name is Georgina. She's amazing." he says quietly.

"She's very beautiful. You've done well there." I grin, nudging his shoulder. He smiles

"You think so?"

"I know so! Any girl would be lucky to have you." I grinned again "Did anyone get me coffee?"

"Gerard." Mike said and I smiled at him, his eyes poking out from under his fringe, all nervous and awkward. I take my coffee off of Gerard and sitting next to him.

"Wassup MikeyWay? You look upset." I asked.

"No. It's just I'm really bad with new people." he said

"You were okay with me when I was new."

"That was different."

"Like hell it was! Look, Nick and Tyson aren't here to replace anyone, or hurt anyone. They're just great guys."

He smiled at me.

"Okay."

"Come on, say hi." I said, gripping his forearm and dragging him into the conversation.

That evening, things couldn't have been better. Tyson and Gerard were getting along like a house on fire and Mike had properly introduced Nick to the Smashing Pumpkins like I always threatened I would do and he loved them. Ray invited himself over and even let Tyson mess with his afro. Frank dropped in and ate everything. Josh played piano almost all day and ignored us (mostly). Things couldn't have gone better. Until the doorbell rang.

"Okay, I know you're going to be really irritated with K but will it help keep the peace that I brought pizza?" Bobs deep voice asked. He held a hot pizza box in one hand with the other up in the air in surrender. He still had tatty brown board shorts and a black hoodie, just like he always wore. His new red Vans were already dirty and he had acquired a lip piercing in the 8 months since I last saw him.

"BOB!" I yelled, throwing myself into him for a massive hug. Somehow, like the tank he is, he grabbed my waist and span round while still holding up the pizza box. Dropping me he stepped out of the way to show a slim female figure. Kira's hair was curled in perfect, bouncy ringlets, the kind hair dye models have, brushed behind one ear to show off the silver chain running from the top ear piercing to the bottom ear piercing, connected by studs in the shape of skulls. She had on a tight red tee-shirt with the Misfits skull printed on the front, skinny black jeans ripped at the calf several times and the 'blood-stained' Doc Martins she always wore. Her lips were shocking against her pale face, like blood on silk sheets.

"Aren't you going to give me a hug?" she smirked, her mouth curling up at a corner and triggering the eyebrow on the same side to curve up away from her blackened eyes. They are really green, it's unfair. Mine are like greyish-green sludge in my eye sockets.

"No. I hate you." I glared at her.

"Warum hassen mich? Was habe ich falsch gemacht? " she said, the foreign language sliding off her tongue like oil over water. She has a habit, when she gets bored, she teaches herself a new language. Then, she randomly starts speaking it in conversation.

"Is that German?" I giggled.

"Yep. Fluent already. 3 months. You'd better believe it."

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Wow"

****(A/N- Kira just said "Why hate me? What did I do wrong?" in German, or at least according to Google translate she did)****

****Kira****

Upon entering Cherry's house, I began to doubt whether it would fit everyone. It was really nice, cosy and stuff and very full of people. The first I saw was a short boy. He had a grey vest on, displaying a few rather wonderful (and totally illegal) tattoos on his upper arms. His hair was the colour of melted chocolate and curled a little at the ends, halfway down his face. His eyes were hazel coloured and held a kind of warmth that was comforting. The second was the boy he had just thrown a pillow at. Dyed black hair covered his face partly and his eyes, also a fabulous hazel colour, stood out from his talc white skin. His eyes had a sort of defensiveness but were at the same time stupid and dorky. Yeah, he was hot. Shuddup Kira, you've got a boyfriend. But, hot guy! But no.

After I dragged my case upstairs, I observed the other two guys I didn't recognise. The first one had curly ginger-brown hair. Okay, he had an afro for fucks sake. His voice didn't suit him, you'd expect him to have a deep and cynical voice like the hot one- who had a name, which I discovered to be Gerard- but instead his voice was high with a very distinctive Jersey accent. His smile was brilliant. You saw it and suddenly everything was fine. He was witty and his laugh boomed round the room as the conversation flowed and more pizza was ordered; Bob wasn't to know there was a house full. His eyes were also dark, a browny colour I think, and wonderfully reassuring. The kind of eyes you would spill your soul to in an instant, but without doubt of any devilish cunning to steal your secrets. The second was always with Cherry. He smiled differently when she was there, his eyes lit up and he became confident and just, cool- which is a terrible adjective. They both were each other's happiness, even though Cherry has never depended on a boyfriend and I know she never will, they just looked good together. His eyes hid behind thick, round glasses and were the same hazel as Gerard's; who I discovered was his brother. They were mysterious but happy. Cautiously happy though, as if he took nothing for granted.

Did I approve of her new friends? Yes, very much so.

****Cherry****

"You guys wanna stay over tonight?" I asked Gerard, Frank, Ray and Mike. The yes was pretty unanimous, so I dragged some pillows and blankets down the stairs and set up some beds on the floor of the lounge. Kira dive-bombed the sofa and lay back, grinning. Really, she's too comfortable with this. But then I wouldn't have met her otherwise.

_Cherry lies on the bare floor of the new house in her underwear and a vest top, sighing like a furnace. "Cherry, move. I can't get in our room." Eva whines, holding the last box._

_"Step over! I'm busy!"_

_"Doing what?" Eva sighs_

_"Thinking."_

_Eva steps over her non-responsive sisters body before dragging her in the room and sitting in front of her. "You can still write to Tyson and Nick you know." _

_Cherry sighs." It's not the same. I can't see them. I miss them already." she whispers the end "And I'll never fit in here. It's a huge city, but everyone will hate me, just like they did back in Stillwater."_

_At this, Eva sighs and holds her sisters hand_

_"Trust me. You'll find someone. But I know if I find friends, they won't like you. That's the way it works with the people I fall in with. I'm so sorry." _

_"Its fine." _

_*The next day, Cherry dresses in a red tartan skirt, her favourite black Queen logo shirt tucked in loosely. She eyeliners her eyes and wears her roller-skates; rather than get the bus three blocks. Upon arriving at school, she walks over to Eva who is already conversing with a group of pretty blonde girls with perfect skin, glossy hair and premature curves. "Hey E. Did you get my schedule?" she asks her sister, attracting funny looks from the group. "Yeah. Our lockers over there." Eva says and Cherry walks off, sensing she's not wanted. She hears one of the girls remark "I thought your sister would be, you know, pretty." _

_At lunch, Cherry picks a chair next to Eva. The girls around her glare at Cherry, who just sits in silence eating. Finally one of the girls gets up and stands in front of Cherry._

_"Look" she says "Your sisters really nice but we totally don't know you so could you, like, leave us alone? Plus, you look like you'd fit better with the Freaks. You're totally not our type of person." she spits out the word freak as if it's something disgusting in her mouth like rotten food. Cherry tries not to look upset as she stands and walks out of the lunch hall to with her tray to eat in the girls bathroom._

_The next day, she hears a group of girls talking to one of the popular chicks Eva is now hanging out with. "She just sat with us! And I was all like 'EW ugly emo freak! Get off our table, we don't want you here!'. I can't believe she's related to Eva. Eva's really nice and pretty and she's just-" the girl cuts of when she sees that Cherry heard every word she just said. Cherry shoves past them into the girls bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. She's not that ugly, is she? Examining her features she compares them to those of the popular girls. Her eyes are greeny-grey like the sea, theirs are blue and brown. Her face is heart shaped with a small button nose, pale skin and the occasional spot due to the fact she's 13, theirs are rounded and smooth with dark tans. They all have curves and wear low tops and short skirts, she still has half a child's body. Maybe she is just ugly. She feels tears roll down her cheeks. Then a girl bursts in. She's beautiful, black hair, green eyes, Misfits tee-shirt, curves entirely covered up but still, beautiful. "Hey are you okay?" she asks before hugging Cherry tightly and whispering comfortingly until she stops crying. "What's up?"_

_"I'm an ugly freak. They all think so."_

_The new girl stares at her in shock. "No way! You're gorgeous! And I'm a freak too. It's something to be proud of you know."_

_Cherry looks up at the new girl. "My names Cherry Evans." was the only thing she could think of saying._

_"That's cool. My names Kira McCullen. You look like a nice person. I can tell from your eyes. Do you want to meet the Freakshow?" and Cherry nods. Kira sits Cherry on the sink and puts eyeliner on her before leading her to a corner of the schoolyard._

_"This is Cherry. She's new and isn't she beautiful?" Kira announces out loud, holding Cherry's arm up and displaying her like a model._

_"Yeah. You look nice." says a tough looking blonde, quietly._

_"I knew you had a heart in there somewhere Bob! She's beautiful!" says the tanned skinhead next to him "I'm Callum Eaves. That beast over there is Bob Bryar, our resident tough guy." he pats a space opposite him "Sit." so Cherry sits between Bob and Kira. _

_"You ever heard the Misfits?" Kira asks Cherry._

_"Nope."_

_"Here, listen to this."_

_Cherry takes a headphone and gets an earful of Die Die My Darling. Its fast, aggressive and brilliant. She loves it almost as much as her new friends._

_"Wow"_

Kira judges everyone on their eyes. It's just how she works. She has very mild Asbergers syndrome, as well as ADHD, but instead of making her awkward around people, she expects them all to be her friends. This ultimately leads to her creeping a lot of people out, but really she means well, and kind of can't help it.

Whatever, maybe this was a good idea after all.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N- Ok I apologise.**

**I really don't have an excuse for this. I've been stupidly lazy with writing this this month and way too focused on school, other stories and general life. So I'm sorry.**

**I didn't even do Nanowrimo. Sunshine did however, and you should totally read it. It's up on Fictionpress and as yet unfinished, but really good. Trust me, it's called Death before Dishonour (American spelling).**

**So yeah, exciting news is that Runaway Stars may possibly come out of hiatus soon. Your move Fall Out Boy...**

**Chapter 17**

****Mikey****

"Look, ask her tomorrow." Gerard says. I sigh and before I could attempt to argue, Tyson walks in.

"Who are you asking what?"

"Mikey's asking Cherry to be his girlfriend." Gerard explained as if I wasn't even here.

"That's so cool! And it's like, five days before her birthday. Cute." he says, draping his legs over the end of my floor bed "Plus, she totally likes you. Every letter she sends always talks about 'Mikey Way this' or 'Mikey Way that' or 'Mikey Way the other'. She'll be really happy if you ask her tomorrow."

"Who totally likes who?" asked the pretty dark haired girl laying on the sofa.

"Cherry totally likes Mikey."

"Oh god yeah. She felt really guilty about what happened with Ashley because she thought Mikey would hate her."

"What happened with Ashley?" I asked, half dreading that I knew the answer.

"Cherry slept with him on New Y ears Eve when she was really drunk. But she wouldn't have told you because they both promised to pretend it never happened."

My mouth made an O shape. That was why she was apprehensive about telling us what she did in England.

"She told me." Ray spoke up "She said not to say anything."

"Guys, as interesting as this is, It's not helping my nerves." I almost snapped. They all murmured and Tyson headed upstairs to sleep.

****Cherry****

I woke up bright and early (7:30). Pushing Tyson's arm off of my shoulder, I affectionately kissed his forehead and ran downstairs, _quietly!_ Once down, I put on the coffee machine for 8 and boiled the kettle. Nick prefers tea or hot chocolate, Kira takes Decaf- full caffeine aggravates her ADHD- with no sugar, Gerard and Mikey have shitloads of sugar, Ray and Tyson will drink whatever and Frankie has vegan milk. He is only a vegetarian, but he really loves almond milk. Me? I like milky coffee with 3 sugars but you didn't need to know that. Pouring the coffee and hot chocolate into mugs, I wrote names on 9 post-its and attached one to each mug, lining them up on the table. Now for the fun part.

"WAKE UP!" I yelled into the lounge. Gerard bolted upright with a start.

"What?!"

I giggled. People are so eloquent in the mornings.

"This is your wake up call. Coffee in the kitchen, you can wake up the Torosaurus."

"You hate mornings though?" Kira chipped in.

"But I want to have fun today, cause you're all here! This hasn't happened before you know." I grinned "Gerard, wake Ray. I have no idea how you do it but you're the only one that can so..."

I rubbed Mikey's hair and picked up his glasses.

"Wake up sleepyhead. Big day."

He smiled. Kira moaned something un-ineligible in either Spanish or Swahili and rubbed her eyes, spreading residual eyeliner across her cheek in a long streak. Before she could yell at me, I ran upstairs and gave Nick, Tyson and Bob the same rude awakening. Bob was already awake and sat by my drum kit, fingers tentative on my jazz brushes, itching to play them.

"Some other time ok?" I said from the doorway, causing him to flinch a little in shock.

"Whoa. When did you get there?"

"Few seconds ago. Actually, you could help me wake up Tyson..." I trailed off, pointing with my head towards Tyson where he was asleep in my bed. Bob caught the message and produced my other sticks from under my snare drum. Grinning maliciously he hit everything, hard.

"Owwww." Tyson whined after bolting upright "You could have just said 'wake up Tyson' you know."

"Wouldn't have been nearly as funny though mate." Bob said gruffly.

"I agree with Bob. There's coffee downstairs." I smiled as he swung his legs out of my bed and wobbled a few steps.

"Cool. Gimme a second..."

He tripped over a shoe and dismantled my snare-drum with a stray hand. Oh gosh, this would be a long morning.

****Gerard****

In the kitchen, Frank, Ray and I stood with these three guys and a girl we had never met before, feeling more than a little weird. Mikey had gone for a shower of the cold variety and Cherry was dressing. The girl was perched on a kitchen counter, legs swinging with one hand wrapped round a mug of coffee and the other forcing piercings back into her earlobes. I think her name was Kira. Bob, the blonde boy with the eyebrow bar was getting along brilliantly with Ray. They both seemed like the strong, silent, man-of-few-words come quiet genius type. The other two, Nick and Tyson, were talking loudly about music and bands and a guy called Mike in Oklahoma twangs.

"Good morning! Isn't this great? I have all my favourite people in one place." Cherry burst out with when she entered the kitchen about a second after Mikey.

"I dunno, is it? Considering its like 3am, I'd say no." I replied. She just rolled her eyes and took a massive sip of coffee, before spitting it in the sink loudly.

"TYSON! Did you put salt in my coffee!?"

"Guilty as charged." he announced with a smug smirk on his face "In my defence though, you did wake me up with a drumkit."

She shrugs.

"Yeah yeah. So what?"

He just blinks and rolls his eyes.

"Now come on, drink faster ; we're all going shopping!"

Bob cut in.

"Shopping? I'm a guy Cherry, I don't shop."

She rolled her eyes and pulled at a lock of his blonde hair as if it was totally stupid.

"Silly Bob." she giggled "Food shopping? Cause there's nowhere near enough food in this house for all of us."

****Frank****

So, half an hour later, we were wreaking havoc around a huge 7/11.

"Gee! Stop it!"'Cherry laughed as Gerard tried to stack a load of cereal boxes as high as himself "Come on, me and Frank lost everyone. Let's go make sure no one's winning themselves Darwin awards hmm?"

The we were running. Running with a full shopping cart, practically dragging Bob and Mikey away from light-sabre fighting with baguettes, helping Kira down from where she was sat on the top of a freezer (god only knows) and meeting an amused looking Tyson and Nick at the checkout, sitting on the floor sharing a pack of gum.

"You guys are hopeless at grocery shopping." Cherry sighed, handing things to the cashier "God forbid you ever live alone."

"I resent that!" Kira half shouted with an air of superiority "I can cook, and you actually burnt baked beans once. Face it, I will survive much better in the real world."

She shook her head. "Nuh Uh. You will end up inviting a creeper into your house and he will rape the shit outta you."

Kira just glared daggers at Cherry across the till isle as Bob smiled widely, laughing at the interaction between the pair. They were really funny together, I had to admit that.

****Cherry****

After causing a total scene in the supermarket, we all laughed our way home, each holding a full shopping bag and a wide smile. When we got back, Josh had left for a rehearsal, so Kira wasted no time in putting a video in and turning it up to full volume, before settling front and giggling like a loony.

"What's so funny about that? I don't get it." Mikey said, entering the kitchen after watching maybe thirty seconds of Kira.

"It's Montypython. Very English comedy show from the seventies. Kira and I watched it non-stop at the sleepovers we used to have, cause it's so damn funny!" I explained "Maybe it's just the English sense of humour. What was going on?'

"Oh I don't know. Some guy was cutting hair and then all of a sudden he's singing about how great it is being a transvestite-lumberjack." Mikey sighed.

"No Way! I love that one!" I laughed "Gimme a minute to finish packing this stuff away and I'll watch it with you guys."

Mikey grabbed my hand and brought his hazel eyes up nervously to meet my face.

"Cherry. I need to say something."

"Ok. Say away." I told him, the quietness and tone making my head feel light that it might just be what I think it is.

"Cherry. I love you, like we all do but I really do love you. I wish I had a better word for it, but, as lame as it is; I would like you to be my girlfriend. "he breathed out "Please say yes?"

I didn't know what to do. Then, I was hugging him round the neck and smiling.

"Yes!" I breathed out like it was the first time I tasted air "Yes Mikey. Yes I will."

"Oh good." he breathed in relief, resting our foreheads together and lowering his lips to mine.

****Gerard****

After shopping we all nestled in front of the TV. Except Cherry and Mikey. They were in the kitchen, getting together hopefully. The hyper British girl put a tape in and then started giggling manically at the bunch of random British guys doing generally stupid stuff.

"What the hell am I watching?" Frank said from next to me, shaking his head in disbelief, eyes straight forward.

"I have no idea." Ray replied in the same monotone. Kira giggled explosively again as a man rattled a cage with a dead parrot nailed to a perch inside it. Then the doorbell rang.

"Anyone wanna get that? No?" Cherry sighed "Fine I'll do it."

Frank and I got up in time to see Cherry open the door to a familiar looking guy.

"CHERRY!" he shouted. It was the Andy guy from the airport, fluffy black hair straight down the edge of his face wearing all black and spider-bite lip rings. Cherry gave him a huge hug and dragged him through to where we were all sat on the couch.

"Dude hey." I smiled at him

"Oh hi Gerard man. Good to see ya again" he nodded. Kira turned off the TV and forced us all into a circle.

"So how was the trip?" Cherry asked, holding Mikeys hand subtly. It wasn't.

"It was good. Ashley has flu so he didn't come, 'cept he's telling everyone its Mono so he can look like he's getting some," he laughed a little "When did this happen?" he voiced everyone's questions by pointing at their joined hands.

"Oh- err- um about two minutes ago." she stumbled. Bob cheered.

"YES! Pay up Iero!"

"Wait- you guys had a bet on this?" Mikey sounded shocked.

"Well duh!" Bob said "Frank thought you'd chicken out, but I knew that Cherry would ask you even if you did."

Frank huffed like a disgruntled child.

"I reckon you cheated."

"No Frank," Kira butted in "Bob always wins his bets. It's a skill."

Frank huffed like a kid again.

"But I always win bets as well."

"I guess Bobs just better than you then Frank." I grinned and he gave me a glare. Not an I-will-fry-your-brains glare, more a watch-as-I-melt-butter-with-my-eyes kind of thing. Whatever.

****Cherry****

Josh arrived and decided to be all responsible adult like and clear out Ray, Mikey, Frank and Gerard. Then, Kira started cooking. She has life skills that girl. The rest of us are doomed if we live alone.

"Oh by the way, the day after the day after tomorrow I got Josh to let me talk to your party-animal friend, Macy; she's getting some people from your band to her house for a low key party thing." she announced casually from poking at a giant omelette.

"Again with Josh." I sighed under my breath "Does she have dirt on you or something?!" I sighed at him.

"What can I say?" he laughed "I'm whipped and she's not even my girlfriend. I feel for Andy."

"Shuttup man." he moaned "She's awesome."

"Speaking of awesome, my mom wants to know how your new college is going?" Nick said, flicking a guitar string on an electric that wasn't plugged in.

"Good. Everyone's really nice, I'm getting good grades and there's this amazing guy..." he trailed off mid sentence.

"Since when has it been guys?" Tyson whispered at me.

"Three days ago." I murmured.

"Oh. Cool."

"-and he's a composer too and he's writing a piece for the orchestra as soon as he can sort out the saxophone part and then he's doing a piano duet and-" Josh had began talking to anyone who would listen.

"Man, you've got it worse than Cherry, and she had it pretty bad." Bob said, sitting at my drum stool after he and Tyson relocated the kit downstairs.

"Whatever." he sighed. I sighed at him sighing, which made him laugh. Happy that I'd accomplished something, I took another piece of gum out of the rapidly emptying box that was now a permanent feature in the back of my jeans.

"Gimme!" Tyson whined.

"Nope." I said chewing loudly "This is my special gum."

He frowned.

"Special as in drugged or what?"

"Special as in I'm quitting smoking and every time I want a cigarette I have a piece." I mimicked his tone "Although they are special because I got them from this little Japanese supermarket in Newark and they're Cherry Blossom flavour. That kind of special too."

He rolled his eyes and thumbed at the corner of his lip, smiling at the wall opposite. We all sat in comfortable silence listening to the quiet chinking of Nicks guitar strings and Josh's rhythmic finger tapping.

"Foods up!" Kira yelled and we all filed into the kitchen to be forcefully handed a plate and a slice of eggy, cheesy omelette in the kind of luminous off-yellow that cooked egg always turns to. I took a forkful immediately and smiled.

"You've been practicing. What happened to the burnt cakes and the half cooked bacon?" I giggled. She snorted, looking down at me as if I had insulted her.

"If you must know, I took Food Sciences." she said following us to the table, which Josh was sat cross legged in the centre of "So I could make up for the fact that it's highly unlikely that it will be safe for me to live alone."

"Josh man, get off the table."

Ah Bob Bryar. Always the voice of reason.

"So, even after all the unexpected guests and stuff, you enjoy today?" Tyson asked, laying next to me.

"It was wonderful. I missed you all so much." I curled my head into his shoulder "Don't you guys ever leave me."

****Mikey****

"So, you and Cherry are some kind of item now?"

I sighed at Gerard and threw my bass pick at him.

"Yes, I guess so."

"It was going to happen sooner or later man; you act like you're married already."

I rolled my eyes and continued walking my fingers across the strings.

"So how's Macy then?" I said, willing the subject to change.

"Good. She's leaving for this summer camp she always helps at the day after Cherry's party, so I probably won't see her all summer but" he sighed "that's ok I guess."

****Next morning****

"MIKEY!" Macy yelled, doing a running jump to hug me from across the road "You finally asked her out!"

"Who told you?" I asked

"Frank."

"That gossipy bitch." I sighed overdramatically, which made her laugh as she and Gerard joined hands. I just lugged my bass rucksack further onto my shoulders; she'd sent me a text before we left saying 'we're having a jamming session' so I wanted in. We all walked round the corner to Cherry house quietly, appreciating the early summer sun and the way it was warm for once. It spilled onto the road in those weird morning shadows that you don't really recognise as the houses across the road, but you know they are really. At Cherry's house, she opened the door before we got to it.

"You guys walk so slowly! C'mon in, we're jamming." she yelled. Macy and Gerard walked in, leaving us alone on the doorstep.

"Good morning. Err- how are you?" she asked, leaning back onto the doorframe.

"I'm ok. You?" I asked

"Great. Err- can I- oh fuck it." she said before standing up straight, holding the side of my face and pushing her lips to mine and- Oh. This is new. Her lips are soft and weirdly tingly and before I know it I'm holding her waist and kissing her back. Then she stopped, and I realised the only thing better than kissing Cherry is recovering from oxygen deprivation afterwards.

"Wow." I whisper.

"Yeah." she smiled "So wanted to do that since I met you. C'mon, Tyson's leading a jamming session; god help us all."

When we got in, Nick was stood on a chair, guitar in hand and plugged in with a stance like a rockstar.

"Cherry! Baby come join us, we know you know this one!" Tyson yelled from where his bass was. I pushed aside a couple of DVDs and found the extension plugs, unplugged the VCR and plugged in my amp. Then my bass into that.

"No you guys!" Cherry was protesting "get Bob to do it!"

Tyson grabbed her slim wrists and whirled her around as Nick began to play a familiar riff.

_duh duh da du du da duuu du_

"Oh no way." she whispered "You can't just do this to me Ty!"

I just laughed. The song was Rebel Rebel by David Bowie, and although I'd never seen Cherry drum it, every time she heard it she would tap it out on something. She couldn't help herself. I don't know, there was something about Bowie and Queen; they just held her focus. Like Frank and his punk bands and Gerard and Black Flag and Ray and Iron Maiden. It's the music that speaks your language the most.

"Oh you are so dead when this is done!" She yelled, sliding behind the drumkit, twirling the stick in her left hand and slamming hard down on the kit.

And boy: could she drum.

I'd never seen her drum like this- properly- before. She was so in time, throwing the sticks and spinning and crossing her hands as Tyson crooned the lyrics, slamming aggressively on the bass frets. It was so different from normal Cherry; she was so in time and in tune, whereas normally she looks as if she's lucky to keep standing balanced.

_"Rebel rebel, how could they know?! Hot Tramp, I love you soo!" _Tyson finished and Cherry ended with some spectacular drum crashes.

"Ok ok so maybe I don't have to kill you. That was awesome!" she giggled, spinning on her drum stool so her now dark brownish red hair swished over her shoulders.

"Uhg, play some Misfits." Kira sighed from the doorframe "And be couple-y with MilkeyWay or something. You always talk about him and now you hardly make eye contact."

Cherry rolled her eyes and pointed at the coffee in Kira's hand.

"Drink. You're a bitch."

"Fuck off. You love me."

"Not when you're moody I don't."

Kira had no response, choosing instead to poke out her tongue and sip coffee.

"So, Mikey, what do you want us to do?" Tyson asked me.

"You guys know any Smashing Pumpkins?" I asked. They all shook their heads apologetically.

"Misfits?" I asked.

"Heck yeah!" the Andy guy yelled from across the room "Die Die My Darling anybody?"

I grinned.

"Yeah I can do that. Cherry?" I asked

"Do you even need to ask?" she winked and Nick took up his guitar."You're lucky. It's the only Misfits song Cherry managed to drill into me."

Gerard grinned like a muppet from the couch.

"This one is so awesome. Can I join you? Singing I mean; I'm not too good but-" he said, being cut off by Andy

"Sure dude!"

**A/N- FINALLY! It only took Cherry and Mikey 17 fucking chapters and all...**

**Hahaha, if you spot the Scott Pilgrim reference in this then you can have an internet cookie.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry guys :/**

**I ditched you again, even thought you may have noticed me re-updating my earlier chapters because I was irritated at all my errors .**

**I'm a horrible author.**

**But fear not because this story is not even nearly finished ok? I am still working at it and the reason I haven't updated is more to do with me being**

**-Fucking lazy**

**-An awful procrastinator**

**-Really busy with real life**

**But here's a really huge chapter to make up for it ok?**

**Also, much love to Its the start of the end and Unicornwarrior21 and Gasoline Diamond my lovely new reviewers. You guys are great. Stay please?**

**And obviously, as always to Sunshine and Merry and Kira.**

**And IF YOU TAKE ONE THING AWAY FROM THIS FIC I WANT IT TO BE TO GO AND READ DAGEEKGODESSES STORIES OK? ONE THING! You won't regret it.**

**The song in this chapter is The Morticians Daughter by Black Veil Brides. I've gone off them recently, but it's still a lovely song.**

**Chapter 18**

****Cherry****

So we played some Misfits. Andy and Gerard ended up having a little argument over who was more awesome, Tyson referred to it as the 'Emo awesome-off' which earned him a shove off balance so he ended up toppling into Nick and Nick into Mikey and then there was just a pile of bodies on the floor. Then this happened to co-inside with Kira finishing her coffee and Andy noticing Macy, who had been sat there being pretty quite.

"Hey, who are you?" he asked "How long have you been here?!"

Macy burst into giggles.

"I'm Macy Sparks, Gerard's girlfriend. I got here with Gerard and Mikey." she giggled "Am I really that invisible?"

"I dunno, maybe just more than the rest of us."

She shrugged. Tyson saw fit to drag me over to the drum kit again.

"Basket Case, 3, 2, 1!"

****They Jam. For a few hours.****

"Anyone got my acoustic?" Andy asked. Nick held up the case and Andy made grabby hands at it until it was in his arms. I watched the scene from my perch on the sofa, head on Mikey's knee. He had one hand twanging the separate bass strings and the other fidgeting with a section of my hair. Every time he plucked a string it made a low thrumming noise and he made a pleased smile.

"I like your hair," he said, holding a small part between two fingers and flicking the ends with his thumb.

"Well I guess that makes one of us." I giggled "I want to dye it again. It's gone brown."

"Kira get in here!" Andy shouted. Kira peeked round the corner, book in hand smiling.

"What is it?" she asked, moving to sit cross legged in front of him. She slid her thumb out from the spine of the thick book, I think it was something about dragons and the pages were yellowish like all good old books.

"Err- I kind of wrote this song. And it's for you. I want all you guys to hear this, as witnesses." he said, and then he rubbed his lip "I remember the first time I met Kira, and she was new in Cincinnati and I was a loner on the edge of a group of scene kids."

Kira's expression is a new one. Her eyes are glassy and the way she's looking at the floor is a mixture of affection and overwhelmedness.

"And yeah, she sat next to me and I was listening to music and hadn't payed attention. But someone asked what her parents did so she had to move here, and she said something about her dad being a politician. And I thought she'd said that he was a mortician; so yeah. Then I noticed you." Andy looked up wistfully "This is called The Morticians Daughter"

He strummed a few clumsy chords and started singing.

_I open my lungs dear_

_I sing this song at funerals... no rush._

_These lyrics heard a thousand times, just plush._

_baby boy you've held so tightly,_

_This pain it visits almost nightly_

_Missing hotel beds, I feel your touch._

_I will await dear, a patience of eternity, my crush._

_A universal still._

_No rust._

_No dust will ever grow on this frame,_

_One million years, and I will say your name._

_I love you more than I can ever scream._

_We booked our flight those years ago,_

_I said, "I love you," as I left you._

_Regrets still haunt my hollow head,_

_But I promised you I will see you again, again._

Still strumming away at the guitar, Andy looks up to capture Kira's eyes. She's tearing up.

"Erm- this is where My friend Jinxx starts playing violin. You know Jinxx right? Jeremy. You know him." he says, getting emotional, his words lost in her tears

_I sit here and smile dear._

_I smile because I think of you and I blush._

_These bleeding hollow dials... this fuss._

_A fuss is made of miles and travels_

_When roadways are but stones and gravel._

_A bleeding heart can conquer every crutch._

_We booked our flight those years ago_

_You said you loved me as you left me._

_Regrets still haunt your saddened head,_

_But I promised you that I will see you,_

_We booked our flight those years ago_

_I said I loved you as I left you_

_Regret's no longer in my head,_

_But I promised you and now I'm home again, again, again, I'm home again, again, again._

_I'm home again._

Andy just puts down the guitar and looks at her. It's actually supremely uncomfortable for the rest of us, like interrupting a private moment. But then they kiss and Josh claps from the doorway.

"Now that, ladies and gentlemen is how to make a girl love you forever, 101, presented by Mr Andrew Biersack. Bravo." he says, clapping slowly with an asshole grin on his face. We all laugh, and Andy smiles, holding Kira's hand as she stops kissing him and re-situates herself so she's sat with her legs across his lap. She kisses his cheek, whispers something and goes back to her book. Josh walks in, removing his shoes with several forcible stomps to the back of his heel and making a beeline to the piano. This piano is a funny story actually. It's a very tiny baby grand, broken and scratched all over, hasn't been polished for years; and we got it with the house. Josh would be living in student accommodation if it wasn't here, so I guess I'm grateful for that.

"So, I take it no one has defiled my piano right?" he said, testing a G with his right pointer finger.

"How do you defile a piano?" Bob thought out loud "WAIT! Don't answer that!"

"Oh you should hear the stories from college. Trust me, worse things than pianos have been defiled." Josh laughed, prompting a giggle and a shiver to ripple through the room. He started playing a mournful sounding tune.

"Hey, what's that?" Gerard asked "It sounds cool."

"I don't know, I wrote it for Eva. When she was, you know, dying." he confessed.

"We should write a song." I murmured, not expecting anyone's attention. However Gerard seemed to think this was a wonderful idea.

****Gerard****

"That's a great idea!" I said, Josh's piano playing still ringing in the background "You got any paper?"

Cherry sat up and pulled out a notepad.

"Ok, any ideas?" I said. The rest of the room was still jamming or reading or whatever, but Cherry and I were going to write this.

**-Line Break-**

_*Turn away, if you could get me a drink, of water 'cause my lips are chapped and faded*_ Cherry wrote in her scratchy pen. Her script was elegant but detached, each letter curved but still separated from the next enough to be completely clear _*call my Aunt Marie. Help her gather all my things, and bury me in all my favourite colours, my sisters and my brothers still. I will not kiss you.*_

****Cause the hardest part of this is leaving you.**** I helped out, as her eyes filled with emotion ****Now turn away, 'cause I'm awful just to see, that all my hairs abandoned on my body****

_*-oh my agony. But baby I'm just soggy from the chemo, and counting down the days to go*_

_**It just ain't living and I just hope you know, that if you say, goodbye today, I'd ask you to be true**_

***cause the hardest part of this... Is leaving you.***

It took us a while to get to this. All the rest of the guys had helped, but Mikey went home for dinner at 6 and the rest of them were now munching instant noodles and I think playing truth or dare out in the hallway. It was just after 7pm.

"Is it okay?" I asked "would she have liked it d'you reckon?"

Cherry sniffled. "Yeah. She'd like it. She'd have liked you too Gee. She always saw the best in people, even the mean ones." she scoffed "especially the mean ones."

"So what do you see in people?" I asked, making a cigarette gesture. She shook her head and handed me a stick of chewing gum from her back pocket.

"What, no nicotine?" I laughed, chewing.

"No. I'm trying to go straightedge."

"It'll never happen."

"No, you're right, but I'm still quitting smoking. The alcoholism can come later, huh?"

"In your dreams." I tried to blow a bubble. It was too thick, and slid on the spit at the edge of my mouth falling off my tongue with a slippery pop "So what do you see in people?"

"An opportunity to fuck them up?" she joked "Nah, I see the visuals. All the things they show you in their face, things that you can capture with a camera in the right light and then never see again. I'm shocking at reading people."

"You're pretty good at photos aren't you?"

"Yeah. I don't think the world needs any more moderately ok drummers or jazz-less sax players, so it's my best talent."

"I dunno, Mikey likes your eyes." I joked and she let out an easy laugh.

"How's college?" she asked.

"Haven't started yet stupid. I've only just graduated."

"But you've been out of school for ages now. It feels like you should be in college." she whined

"Oh, the wonders of study leave."

"That's so unfair. I barely passed my finals this year, I should have study leave!" she exclaimed.

"You revised with Mikey. How could you have not passed?"

"I couldn't have," she said" but I'm just not book smart like he is I guess. I can do music and art and photos, but textbook subjects confuse me."

"Cherry, you get A-'s in English and you're a C+ average in Math, Biology and Chemistry." I laughed at her.

"I know. But that's still a C+. I guess I just don't understand how it works like I do with music."

"It just fucking does ok?" I laughed "That's what Mikey told me once."

"Well that's all well and good for him, but this is me we're talking about. I have to know how it works ok?' she laughed.

"I thought you had a photographic memory?"

"70 percent," she sighed "and that's half the problem. I expect to remember things, so I want to understand, when really I just remember them. Understanding has nothing to do with it."

"KIDS!" Josh shouted "Gerard, your mum wants you home. Cherry, your friends want you over here."

I laughed.

"Night Cherry."

****Cherry****

The next day, I woke up next to Tyson again. Except this time, he woke me up, falling around the room trying to pull up jeans.

"Ty, what're you doin?" I mumbled.

"Getting dressed. We're going into the city today, seeing the sites and stuff. Josh bought us bus and train passes yesterday."

"Oh that's good." I mumbled "Gimme my shirt."

He refused, so I got up, grabbed a load of fresh clothes and changed in the bathroom. Tripping downstairs I was greeted by the smell of coffee and a Josh hug.

"CHERRY! Matty wants me to play his composition at the Homecoming show!"

"That's great good for you have a gold star and please let go." I mumbled. He reluctantly let go and I shuffled across the carpet and the hissy lino to the opposite kitchen counter to grab my coffee. Kira scowled at me, squinting through smeared eyeliner.

"Wow you look nice this morning. Wake up on the wrong side of bed?" I asked amused.

"No." she scowled "There's only one side I can get out."

"Well its obviously the wrong one." I murmured, walking out to get my shoes.

**-Line Break-**

Half an hour later we were all sat at a bus stop, fidgeting in boredom.

"Guys have you all got your passes?" Josh asked, finally getting round to handing me a yellow and black 'Metro Pass' in a clear plastic wrapper like the kind you get expensive biscuits in.

"How come you haven't got one?" Tyson asked. Josh grinned knowingly.

"I have the yellow pass of infinite bus and train. I don't need one."

"How come I haven't got a pass of infinite bus?" I asked curiously.

"You haven't actually been into the city yet." he sighed.

"That's a lie!" I said "I went in with you when mum was looking at houses in the summer."

"Whatever; details." Josh said, standing as a bus swung round the corner. He leapt up onto the curb and into the bus door "Get in losers!"

****X amount of bus and train travel later****

"Whoaoh!" Tyson said "Everything is so tall!"

I laughed and pulled him back down to sit on the oversized steps in Times Square. We had got off the bus and onto a metro down to central park. Then we'd walked through it, and Kira insisted that we climb some rocks (translation- every rock we passed) but after the eighth rock, Josh had objected and left her to do it on her own. She then also objected to that and ran off to buy pretzels. We shared them on the second metro. They were squidgy and tasted of slightly burnt cheese. Tyson was holding the remains of the last one in his left hand, chewing it viciously.

"Remind me why we're just sat here again?" Bob asked from my far left.

"Why not man?" Andy pointed out, from slightly less far to the left "Why fuckin not?"

"Yeah!" I agreed, looking out onto the road. Hundreds of people were walking around: people dressed as Elmo, carrying billboards, selling quesadillas; you name it. Everything was happening around us. The lights on the buildings lit up the square, and even though we were sat on the top step of the hugeass stairs; we still had to rest our heads on the back of our necks to see the sky.

"You can see why I love it here, can't you?" Josh asked. It was a rhetorical question. Of course we could.

**-Loine Break (My typing has become Tom DeLongue, ok)-**

"Anything in particular you guys want to do?" Josh asked, tossing a sandwich wrapper in the trash. He almost missed, but he was lucky.

"Is it bad that I just want to go do all the really tourist-y things, like go out and see the statue of liberty and up the empire state and maybe the world trade centre and the Rockefeller?" asked Kira.

"Nope." Tyson popped the p "I do too."

Josh grinned a shit eating grin.

"You are very predictable, and also convenient, because I got us ferry tickets and passes to the empire state." Josh smiled "For you, as a birthday present." he smiled at me. I grinned back and gave him a huge hug, clinging to his shoulders. He sort of has to bend down, and he rubbed my head.

"Trust me, to see you this happy- after everything; its worth it." Josh whispered to me.

****On a ferry over to the Statue of Liberty; because reasons****

"Hey whose phone is that?" Kira asked, her head twirling and hitting herself in the face with the keychain she had attached to her earring "OW!"

"I knew it would end in tears." Bob mumbled. Andy held her other hand and kissed her cheek. Nick sunbathed some more. Tyson's hands dived into his pockets, skinny hips lifting into the air, holding himself up on the back of the bench.

"Not me." he pointed out. Josh searched his pockets and found that it was his phone, and raised it to his face.

"Hey this is Josh Evans, who's this?"

A voice said something that made Josh laugh loudly.

"No, I'm not at work or something, that's how I answer the phone. No, we're in the city with her friends. Its her birthday tomorrow." he laughed "Yes, no they're here. Hang on."

He put his hand over the receiver.

"Friend from college, yell something."

We yelled. Loudly. Josh then lifted the phone and walked off laughing.

"Hey" Bob said, poking my shoulder "We should buy Kira one of those novelty tourist Statue of Liberty hats and force it upon her."

"Let's do it!"

**-Line Break-**

I'll just say she wasn't too happy about this, even when we forced her to wear it in the obligatory tourist photos with too much sun in our eyes. I had to wrench my camera out of Josh's hands to click the dial round to a decent exposure after he took five pictures that were almost entirely light.

After that, we loitered around at the edge of guided tour parties of English tourists to avoid having to pay for a tour guide. The first was full of old people who kicked us out, after trying to give Josh the phone number of one of their granddaughters (to which his reply was to smile sweetly and say he'd think about it. He binned the number). The second was an English school party with accents like my dad used to have. They looked about 15 at most and a few were pretty high on energy drink. Kira, Nick and I blended ok, but the rest of us had no chance, so we gave up hope.

After getting back on the ferry and skipping Ellis Island, we wondered through Battery Park until we came out onto a big cross section of streets. Josh knew where we were then, so we ended up running across three lanes of traffic to get to the subway station and shoving down the wrong stairs against the flow of moving people. The platform was sweltering, and Kira and the hat got some funny looks; but the inside of the train was air conditioned so people were less irritable. She still didn't take off the hat though.

She didn't take the hat off until we were all the way up at the top of the Empire State, because she didn't want it to fall off. We watched the sun set on the skyline and I struggled to remember why I had ever stopped living for little things like this.

****Later on a bus returning to Belleville****

Kira sat opposite me, staring out of the window at the rapidly shrinking skyscrapers. Her headphones were in and her face was resting in its natural expression; a slightly apathetic pout. Her eyes were glassy from being unfocused, and her slightly turned out bottom lip was greasy with Vaseline and excessive licking.

Tyson was pretty much passed out across two bus seats, much to the displeasure of the late evening commuters surrounding us. Nick and I were discussing quietly how they had a rod up their collective ass.

By the time we got off the bus, it was totally dark and we tramped home by the light from the orange-yellow streetlamps.

"You got pepper spray?" Kira asked as a joke.

"At home. But big groups don't get attacked, so we're safe, don't worry."

For that; I got a given a look. It was a cross between terrified and bitch glare.

To be honest, I shouldn't have laughed as hard as I did.

****Next Day****

I woke up to Tyson sat at the end of my bed, sipping milk out of a cracked bleach white mug. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. There was a kind of significance in all the trust we share here; the way that sharing a bed was a totally different experience to how you might think it was. A way to feel close made so much more by the fact we couldn't feel at all close normally.

"Good day yesterday?" Tyson asked.

"The best." I smiled "You?"

"Oh it was pretty good. Eye opening as such." he grinned. I giggled because of how silly he sounds when trying to sound cultured and he laughed back at me.

We spent the day talking and jamming. Nick, Tyson and I talked memories and school, Bob and I talked how it was going for him since I left; Kira and Andy were nowhere to be seen but it was to be expected. Long distance did happen to suck, you know?

Anyway, Bob and I tried to make lunch and it kind of worked; I mean- it wasn't completely burnt. But it wasn't totally edible either, so we toasted some bread and then grilled a load of that orange-yellow cheese that tastes like plastic onto it. Then we shovelled our failed attempt at bacon and eggs onto the bread and cheese mix to make possibly the most unhealthy sandwiches known to mankind.

They tasted of oil and cheese and over crisp bacon. It was awesome.

"We should open a restaurant." he told me, between bites of his sandwich. Tyson nodded in agreement. Nick was to busy tapping the piano keys to pay attention, Kira and Andy were nowhere to be seen; and Josh had turned his nose up at them after announcing that he really doesn't need that many calories in his life considering how little exercise he does. Then he left for work- he teaches piano; today its a boy called Nate- leaving us with a strict warning not to eat food over his piano. I think we ignored him.

"Yeah, if I don't get into the art college we can open a sandwich shop" I giggled "and we'll call it 'Cherry and Bob's sandwich shop extraordinaire' and this'll be our speciality."

"Where will we open it?" he asked

"Outside your house. Opposite that park I used to skate in, in that shop that never had the same occupants for longer than a month."

"What, the one we decide was cursed?" he snorted "good friggin luck. Since you left it's already been a vintage furniture store, a hipster bar, a coffee shop and a Laundromat."

This was no surprise. While I lived there, it was a vinyl shop, a bookstore, a Hot Topic, a technology shop, a comic and gaming store, a fancy French restaurant and a Chinese takeout. Our favourite was the comic and gaming store because it stocked X-Men comics for me and whatever Bob was into and Pokémon toys. They moved across town into a strip mall after about 3 months.

"We'd break the curse with the power of awesome sandwiches. And failing that, I could just pour salt over all the entrances?"

****-Line Break-****

"Cherry Evelyn Evans, you'll be late for your own party!" Kira shouted scandalized up the stairs. I rolled my eyes, pausing in front of the mirror in the hall to adjust my hair. I'd dyed it red again shortly after the sandwich conversation the other day with the help of Andy: who got a tiny bit annoyed when I accidently dyed a part of his eyebrow red. It made me and Tyson laugh anyway. Bob had stated back, and Nick was still piano-ing

I was wearing a tight black Ramones tee, and a black skirt with a white belt, and knee high fishnet socks. Red converse and two high bunches completed the look I think.

"Coming!"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N- Hello again.**

**This chapter kind of sucks but I promise that after this I will**

**Update more frequently and**

**Things will happen**

**Also FALL OUT BOY!**

**GUYS THEY'RE BACK HOW COOL IS THIS.**

**PS- sorry to Sunshine that I couldn't fit the Mosh in this chapter. I'll make it up to you somehow**

**(Just to be clear I own nothing, especially not the lyrics st the end as so many of you have pointed out.)**

**Chapter 19**

We walked together to Macy's house. When we got there, there were cars parked halfway up the street and lights and music spilled from the windows.

"Cherry! You're here! Finally!" Macy yelled, running gracefully across her driveway in stupidly high nude coloured heels and a black cargo dress with a black biker jacket. It was cute. She gave me a huge hug before enclosing my wrists in her fingers.

"Come along! Everyone's waiting!"

She dragged me in: closely followed by everyone; and I was greeted with the sight of the four guys grinning like lunatics.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHERRY!" they yelled, throwing a few handfuls of glitter each at me. It fell around me like rain as a couple of people behind them half-heartedly joined in the cheer. Then, Gerard gave Mikey a weak shove and he staggered forward to stand in front of me and put a hand on my waist.

"I'm gonna kiss you now ok." he said and I hardly think he needed to asked because I was already ahead of him. I stood up slightly on my toes and pushed my lips to his quickly. He was obviously shocked but then he kissed back and- oh wow.

It was like something was writhing around in me that I hadn't even realised; and kissing Mikey had put it to rest and suddenly everything was right. I really don't know how else to describe it. Physically it was clumsy and slightly awkward and his lips were dry and mine were too glossy but inside I knew I'd never find anything better.

* * *

About three quarters of an hour later, I was sat on the arm of Macys sofa listening to a load of the kids from band discuss their favourite jazz musicians. To be honest, I wasn't having as much fun as I'd hoped, but it was pretty cool to see what party were like when you weren't totally intoxicated.

"Cherry what reed thickness do you use?" asked a kid to my left wearing a purple polo shirt and holding a can of slightly warm beer.

"Oh- er- two." I said "Why?"

"Oh nothing. It's just, Joe uses two and a half and I use one and a half. I was just curious."

They then proceeded to have some kind of miming contest to see who could make the best trumpet player face. The trumpet players were mildly outraged, but they had a pretty good sense of humour about it.

I took this as my cue to flee to the kitchen.

"This is really boring." I whispered to Mikey as I brushed past him under the pretence of making a drink.

"I'm not having as much fun as I thought I would actually." Macy said from my other side.

"Mm me too" Gerard said "Everyone's just separated into groups in all your rooms and I'm bored."

"We should ditch." Tyson sighed from the corner of the kitchen. Macy gasped.

"No! You can't ditch your own party, people'll miss you!"

I smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think they will." I purred "Anyone want to get out of here?"

* * *

"THIS IS CRAZY!" Kira yelled from behind me. I was running; running holding onto the people I love. Mikey ran in front of me to my left and Gerard to my right. We were running down the middle of a dark empty road in the pitch dark being followed by all my other friends: and I had never felt more alive. I looked over at Nick and Ray, running to my left.

'you good?' Ray mouthed

'never been better' I replied

'me neither.' he grinned.

"Guys we should go in here!" Frank yelled, standing at the gates of an old cemetery.

"You sure dude? Looks kinda weird." Bob said and Frank just shrugged.

"I used to walk my mom's dog in here. It's totally safe and un-creepy."

So we walked in. It was a proper old Cemetery with a huge stone archway covered in ivy and trees overgrowing across the crunchy pebble driveway.

"Cherry think fast!" Bob shouted before gracefully throwing a beer at me. I caught it (just) and saw that he and Nick had grabbed a few boxes. Well at least we wouldn't get thirsty, and I'm sure I could have one.

"Knew it wouldn't last." Gerard whispered from my side as I opened the ring pull and took a sip.

"Ha-ha fuck off. Besides, I did too." I said and he laughed.

Frank was already ahead of us, sat down on the grassy roundabout in front of a stone mausoleum with a carved angel stood on top. We all sat around him, swapping beers and laughing. Macy kicked off her high heels and gave one to Tyson, who attempted to take off the cap of a beer bottle with it. It actually worked- just.

"Good birthday?" Mikey asked, kissing my cheek.

"The best." I whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips. His breath tasted of beer and crisps, and I was actually kind of self conscious about the whole public displays of affection thing; but right there it didn't matter.

* * *

Later that night we returned to Macys house when the party had all but finished. There were a few drunk jocks who we gently herded out if the door, and two of the more sexually active band geeks were laying on the sofa making out. There was also a girl asleep on the stairs, and someone passed out in the yard. We then launched into 'Party recovery mode' as Macy called it by clearing up all the plastic cups and waking the drunk people. We got Ray to do the tea and sympathy before sending them off with some aspirin and a bus ticket. Then, we kicked the couple off the sofa, moved the boy from the lawn to Macys guest bed and sat down on her living room floor; each holding a black plastic sack full of cups and cans and bottles.

"I don't get it?" Mikey said "How do your parents let you have parties and drink and stuff?"

Macy laughed.

"I'm trusted. To be honest I used to be a little spoilt but then I stopped wanting stuff and started wanting privileges, so I spent a lot of time earning my dad's trust and now I can just hold a party and they'll clear off to my aunts." she said "Its the greatest."

"Lucky." Gerard threw a plastic cup at her.

"Sure am. OH! Cherry I just remembered; wait here." she yelled before leaping up and running out of the room.

"So how come your mom can leave you and Josh alone for a fortnight huh?" Frank asked "That's what I don't get."

"We're just really independent I guess." I sighed, sipping a lemonade "I mean, we've always been like that. Mum never expected us to rely on her; and we can both survive by ourselves. We used to all the time, 'specially when Eva was sick."

Before everything could get melancholy just then, Macy ran back into the room and thrust a package wrapped in green glittery paper at my chest.

"Open it!"

I rolled my eyes and held the package out front of me. It was a rectangular box shape, similar to the kind you get shoes in.

"Gerard and I kind of got you a joint present. Because, y'know, they were perfect."

I clawed at the packaging to reveal a shoebox. Then, I tentatively shuffled the lid off and what I saw was.

"You got me converse. With cherries on. And detachable wheels." My jaw dropped "Wow."

Then it hit me.

"YOU GUYS THESE ARE SO PERFECT OH GOD!" I squealed, leaping over at Macy and Gerard to hug them.

"Knew you'd like them." Gee giggled.

* * *

I decided to skate home on them, slightly tipsy with an arm around Bob Bryar's shoulder.

"So how's home with you?" I asked him.

"We talked about this. My family are all fine, and I'm not friends with Callum anymore."

I almost shuddered at the name.

"Yeah but you never said who you were friends with."

"Just a load of the kids in the scene. They're all nice people, and I have a girlfriend now. She's got blue hair and likes food with hazelnuts in and the Simpsons."

"She sounds awesome."

"Uh huh, she really is. She has a nice butt too." he said

"Wow, you're such a gentleman Bob."

"I know I am." he said "She doesn't mind it. I also met this hyper kid who is like the biggest walking emo stereotype ever. He wears guy liner, has a side fringe and writes poetry. It's really quite funny."

"They both sound really cool." I said "Can I come meet them one day?"

"course. They'd love that. They're kind of sick of hearing about you to be honest."

"My reputation precedes me?"

"Not as much as Mikey Ways did."

"Asshole."

"I speak truth."

At home we all bundled into the lounge, giggling like idiots; and fell asleep on each other- a bit like something out of Where The Wild Things Are. But slightly more tipsy and less furry.

* * *

The day of my actual birthday was lazy. We all woke up around 11ish and sat in a circle; drinking coffee and listening to Nicks mix tapes on the cassette player. Josh just frowned at us and went out into town to buy a cake.

"Presents!" Kira exclaimed.

"Guys seriously, you shouldn't have ok you came all the way here I don't want anything." I protested.

"Tough shit I got you a present." Kira said, shoving my shoulders down on the couch and walking over to her case.

"I didn't." Bob said. I grinned.

"See Bob has the right idea!"

Kira shut me up by passing me a little box. It had some little skull earrings in, and I reluctantly pushed them through the holes in my earlobes. Josh arrived with cake, and they made me cut it and make a wish like a kid. I didn't actually make a wish, because I couldn't think of one, but I cut it with my eyes shut anyway. Then we ate it and narrowly avoided a food fight after Nick elbowed the back of Tyson's head and got chocolate all over his face.

Josh despaired of us; as usual.

Nick and Tyson left early, without saying goodbye; leaving a cassette on my bedside table as the only evidence they were ever there.

It was my song.

"_Hey Cherry, it's Nick here. Err- well Tyson wrote this song for you and we wanted to record it."_

A band started playing in the background and then Tyson started singing

_Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking  
When you fall everyone stands  
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking  
With the life held in your  
Hands are shaking cold  
These hands are meant to hold_

_Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong_  
_Move along, move along like I know you do_  
_And even when your hope is gone_  
_Move along, move along just to make it through_  
_Move along_  
_Move along_

_So a day when you've lost yourself completely_  
_Could be a night when your life ends_  
_Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving_  
_All the pain held in your_  
_Hands are shaking cold_  
_Your hands are mine to hold_

_Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong_  
_Move along, move along like I know you do_  
_And even when your hope is gone_  
_Move along, move along just to make it through_  
_Move along_  
_(Go on, go on, go on, go on)_

_When everything is wrong, we move along_  
_(Go on, go on, go on, go on)_  
_When everything is wrong, we move along_  
_Along, along, along_

_When all you got to keep is strong_  
_Move along, move along like I know you do_  
_And even when your hope is gone_  
_Move along, move along just to make it through_

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through_

_Right back what is wrong  
We move along_

The drums were awesome. I couldn't think of another way to put it. It was a bit jerky and unpractised in places, but wow. I loved it. An unfamiliar voice at the end shouted "Dude that rocked!" and then it crackled off into white noise. I think I cried of happiness.

Kira and Andy left each other in kisses and floods of tears, and Bob left me with a manly hug, cracking a grin saying he would most definitely be back.

I would have hoped so too.

**A/N- If anyone can guess who Bob's emo friend is, then you can have a cookie.(The boy one)  
**


End file.
